When we move away from the commonly held modern view of technology as a simple and neutral tool for achieving goals, known as technological instrumentalism, we are left with an important question about our relationship with technology: if it is not simply a means to an end, what is the true nature of this relationship? This question has been explored through various perspectives in the philosophy of technology, such as the analytical approach, Latour’s actor-network theory and the phenomenological approach. The aim of this workshop is to bring together scholars from various related fields to address the question of the human-technology relationship from multiple perspectives. The workshop will focus on several central questions, which include but are not limited to:

- How can we conceptualize interaction as a key concept in the human-technology relationship?

- Can the concept of design serve as a unifying concept that integrates all themes and ideas mentioned above?

- How can these themes contribute to the current theory and practice of technological design?

- In what ways can we apply these approaches to understand our relationship with emerging technologies such as VR, AR, and IOT?

- How can we understand the moral status of technological artifacts such as robots and AI, such as Chat GPT, using these approaches?

- With the widespread presence of intelligent and interactive machines, how can these lines of thought help us improve workplace design?

Confirmed keynotes

- Prof. Peter-Paul Verbeek (University of Amsterdam):

Disruptive Technologies and the Possibilities of Responsible Design

- Prof. David Gunkel (Northern Illinois University):

The Relational Turn: An Ethics for the 21st Century and Beyond

- Prof. Dr. Marc Hassenzahl (University of Siegen):

Chatbots, robots, smart things: Challenges of designing meaningful interaction with „Otherware“

- Prof. Kari Kuutti (University of Oulu):

Exploring technological mediation – an Activity Theory perspective

General information

The workshop will take place as part of the Humans on Mars Initiative (https://www.uni-bremen.de/humans-on-mars-initiative).

How to apply

The workshop is open to attendees who may or may not have a paper presentation. For those who are interested in presenting their papers, there are limited slots available exclusively for Ph.D. students and Postdoctoral researchers. To apply for a presentation slot, interested individuals must submit a 500 to 1000 word abstract and a short bio in PDF format to the organizer, Dr. Abootaleb Safdari, at asafdari@uni-bremen.de by Jun 8, 2023; 23:59. The presentations should not exceed 20 minutes and will be followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. On the other hand, if you prefer to attend the workshop without presenting a paper, you can send a short bio to the organizer by the same deadline. The selection results for all applicants will be communicated by June 15th, 2023.

Attendance and Excursions

There are no registration fees. Conference attendance is free of charge for presenters and for general public. During the conference, participants will have the opportunity to engage in two exciting excursion events. The first excursion promises an intriguing visit to the MaMBA (Moon and Mars Base Analog) located at the prestigious ZARM center of the University of Bremen. This remarkable facility replicates the conditions and challenges faced in lunar and Martian environments, providing a unique insight into the possibilities of future space exploration. In the second excursion, attendees will have the chance to explore the rich historical heritage of the city.