Call for Papers: ICSR + Art 2026 in London

The 18th International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR + Art 2026) will take place in London, UK, from July 1–4, 2026. ICSR is the leading international forum that brings together researchers, academics, and industry professionals from across disciplines to advance the field of social robotics. For its 18th edition, the conference will feature the special theme ICSR + Art, exploring how robots can transcend their traditional roles to become tools and collaborators in creative practices. At the same time, the conference remains fully open to the entire spectrum of social robotics research, including human–robot interaction, medical and assistive robotics, AI and machine learning, ethics, design, education, cultural applications, and beyond. Accepted papers will be published in Springer’s Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) series and indexed in major databases. In addition to regular and short papers, the program will include workshops and special sessions designed to foster exchange across disciplines and communities. Paper submissions are due by February 15, 2026, with notifications on April 15, 2026, and camera-ready papers due May 15, 2026. Proposals for workshops and special sessions are welcome until December 1, 2025. Further information is available at icsr2026.uk.

Fig.: View of London from the London Eye

Call for Special Session Contributions

The special session of the ICSR 2025 in Naples will explore how social human-agent interaction can enhance health-related applications through effective sensing, interpretation, and adaptation to human needs. The organizers are looking for contributions that propose different interaction paradigms, such as phygital (physical-digital) environments that combine virtual and embodied agents and objects for rehabilitation. This special session will focus on healthcare and well-being applications, emphasizing the seamless interaction between humans (clinicians, patients) and artificial agents (robots and avatars, controlled by humans or AI systems). Invited speakers will explore how intelligent agents can sense, interpret, and adapt to human needs, enabling more effective assistance, engaging rehabilitation and stimulation, and support in clinical and home-care environments. The deadline for the submission of contributions is April 30, 2025. Further information is available at icsr2025.eu/special-sessions/.

Fig.: The ICSR 2025 will take place in Naples

CfP for the Tenth International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction

The Tenth International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction will be held December 4-8, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina, hosted by North Carolina State University. „ACI is the leading International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction. It is a highly multidisciplinary event drawing researchers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to share and discuss work and topics related to the research and design of computing-enabled and interactive technology for and with animals.“ (Website ACI) The Ninth International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction was held in Newcastle upon Tyne at the end of 2022. Also this year the organizers are interested in a variety of topics in animal-computer interaction and animal-machine interaction, as the call for papers (CfP) reveals: „Submissions might address topics such as: the role of technology in shaping human-animal relationships; studies and/or analysis of large-scale technology for animal deployments; considerations on the wider context of technology for animal use; methods and reflections on studying the next generation of technology for animals; or how to conduct ACI research in a world where commercial design and deployment of technology for animals outpaces academic thought.“ (Website ACI) The CfP can be accessed at www.aciconf.org/aci2023.

Fig.: The William B. Umstead State Park in North Carolina

CfP for the AAAI 2023 Spring Symposia

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) is pleased to present the AAAI 2023 Spring Symposia, to be held at the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco Airport, California, March 27-29. According to the organizers, Stanford University cannot act as host this time because of insufficient staff. Symposia of particular interest from a philosophical point of view are „AI Climate Tipping-Point Discovery“, „AI Trustworthiness Assessment“, „Computational Approaches to Scientific Discovery“, „Evaluation and Design of Generalist Systems (EDGeS): Challenges and methods for assessing the new generation of AI“, and „Socially Responsible AI for Well-being“. According to AAAI, symposia generally range from 40–75 participants each. „Participation will be open to active participants as well as other interested individuals on a first-come, first-served basis.“ (Website AAAI) Over the past decade, the conference has become one of the most important venues in the world for discussions on robot ethics, machine ethics, and AI ethics. It will be held again at History Corner from 2024. Further information via www.aaai.org/Symposia/Spring/sss23.php.

Fig.: View of San Francisco