How much control are we willing to hand over to artificial intelligence? When do we trust robots? And how can digital systems be designed to be both secure and easy to understand? At the Mensch und Computer (MuC) 2026 conference*, researchers and practitioners will discuss current issues in human-computer interaction (HCI). Europe’s largest conference in the field will bring together more than 500 participants at the University of Duisburg-Essen’s Duisburg campus from 30 August to 2 September.
Under the theme Transforming Interactions, the four-day conference will explore how people use and shape digital technologies – and how these technologies, in turn, are changing work, communication and social interaction. MuC 2026 is hosted by University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) computer science professors Dr Stefan Schneegass and Dr Michael Prilla, together with Dr Max Pascher (UDE and TU Dortmund University).
“Technological progress only delivers its full benefits when it is guided by people’s needs,” Schneegaß and Prilla emphasise. “At MuC, we therefore discuss not only what is technically possible, but also how digital systems can be made understandable, accessible and suitable for everyday use.”
One session in the main programme focuses on the relationship between humans and AI: How credible is AI perceived to be, for example, in science communication? How do people perceive the “personality” of large language models? And are companies adopting AI partly out of concern that they might otherwise fall behind as the technology develops?
Security and privacy are also on the agenda. Researchers are investigating, for example, how people can make informed decisions about their data in smart-home environments and how cybersecurity risks can be communicated in ways that people can actually understand.
Another session examines human-robot collaboration. Topics include how trust in robots develops and whether a human-like appearance actually helps to foster that trust. A dedicated panel will address research data management in human-computer interaction and explore how research data can be made accessible and reusable over the long term. UDE is taking a leading role in this nationwide initiative.
The workshops address a wide range of current issues, from controlling rescue robots and questions of AI responsibility in critical situations to dealing with hate speech on social media. The consequences of digital self-tracking through fitness watches and tracking apps will also be critically examined.
In his keynote on 31 August, information designer Kim Albrecht will take up the conference theme. The professor at Folkwang University of the Arts and researcher at Harvard University will show how interfaces and data structures shape the way we work, communicate and perceive the world.
* The Mensch und Computer conference has been bringing together researchers, practitioners and industry professionals since 2001. In addition to talks and workshops, the programme includes tutorials, demonstrations and poster presentations.