ROBOPHILOSOPHY

October 6, 2026October 6, 2026

Can Robots and AI Systems Be Creative?

Can robots and AI systems be creative? Since the rise of generative AI, this question has been the subject of intense debate. The issue is not merely whether machines can produce images, texts, or music. It is also about what we understand by creativity and art in the first place, and whether they are necessarily tied to human beings. The Biennale Arte 2026 could have been an excellent place to engage in this debate. In fact, it does so only occasionally. In the Chinese Pavilion, the humanoid robot Astribot S1 writes in the style of calligraphy master Wang Dongling. Visitors can take the works of art, if that is what they are, home with them. Zhang Zhoujie, meanwhile, has computers develop forms for his “digital chairs” based on predefined rules. The designer tries to exercise as little control as possible, giving the computer a degree of creative freedom of its own. In the Venice Pavilion, “Echo/SommersiVo” uses artificial intelligence to translate visitors’ memories and impressions into a constantly changing world of sound and images. Those involved explicitly describe the process as a collaboration between humans and AI in the creative process. These are interesting approaches, but they remain exceptions. At a time when generative AI is challenging our understanding of authorship, originality, and creativity, the world’s most important international exhibition of contemporary art barely addresses this development. The Biennale Arte 2026 did not have to answer the question of whether machines can be creative. But it should have asked it.

October 1, 2026October 1, 2026

Robotaxis in Switzerland

Robotaxis have made their way to Switzerland. Since September 28, 2026, self-driving cars have been available for booking through the iamo app in Zurich’s Furttal region. Three electric Nissan Ariyas are operating in Otelfingen, Dänikon, Hüttikon, and Boppelsen. They are equipped with technology from automation specialist WeRide. The vehicles feature six LiDAR sensors, eleven cameras, and eight additional sensors that provide a 360-degree view of their surroundings. The service includes nearly 100 digitally designated pickup and drop-off points. A ride costs a base fare of CHF 4.70 plus CHF 0.38 per kilometer; Swiss Half Fare Cards and GA Travelcards are not accepted. The service operates daily from 1 to 5 p.m. Up to three passengers can ride at a time, accompanied by a safety driver who can intervene in an emergency. Autonomous driving is not entirely new to Switzerland. As early as 2016, PostAuto’s SmartShuttles were operating in Sion in the canton of Valais. The vehicles used at the time, however, operated under very different conditions. Depending on the area, their speed was limited to between 5 and 20 km/h (3 and 12 mph), and they traveled along virtual tracks. The Furttal project now takes a crucial step further: The Nissan Ariyas operate in regular traffic and have to handle far more complex situations than a bus traveling along a predefined route. That is precisely where the pilot project stands to provide valuable insights. And those insights are unlikely to come without incidents. In a real-world trial of this kind, accidents should be expected. It remains to be seen how the public will react.

September 26, 2026October 2, 2026

AAAI Announces New Venue

The AAAI Spring Symposium Series fosters an intimate environment for emerging AI communities to engage in workshop-style discussions. After several editions away from a university setting, the series appears to have found a new academic home. The AAAI 2027 Spring Symposium Series will take place from March 22 to March 24, 2027, at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. For many years, Stanford University provided the setting for the Spring Symposia, while more recent editions have taken place at the Hyatt Regency and other hotels at San Francisco Airport. Santa Clara University now provides a new academic setting in Silicon Valley for this established series and its distinctive format of several small symposia running in parallel. At the same time, AAAI has issued the Call for Proposals for the 2027 Spring Symposium Series. Proposals for individual symposia are due November 17, 2026, with notifications scheduled for December 8. AAAI expects to select approximately eight symposia covering a broad range of topics within and around artificial intelligence, with a particular interest in emerging research areas and communities. The move to Santa Clara University thus marks a new chapter for the AAAI Spring Symposium Series and brings the event back to a university campus. The Call for Proposals is available on the Spring Symposium Series site (Photo: Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0).

September 24, 2026September 24, 2026

Kissed by the Muse?

According to the article “Tamagotchi trifft KI-Agent” (“Tamagotchi Meets AI Agent”) (Heise, September 24, 2026), Meta has unveiled Muse Charm, a small wearable device designed to serve as a home for its new personal AI agent, Muse. The gadget, which is reminiscent of a Tamagotchi, can similarly be attached to a keychain or carried in a pocket. It features a screen displaying Jolly, Muse’s avatar. As Heise reports, the assistant is activated via a fingerprint sensor, while cameras are intended to allow it to perceive the user’s surroundings. The device is also expected to feature a microphone, two cameras, and 5G connectivity, although the company has yet to release full technical specifications. Mark Zuckerberg said at Meta Connect that Muse Charm is not yet fully finished and that only a small number of units have been produced so far. Nevertheless, according to Heise, Meta plans to launch the device in time for the December holiday shopping season. Pricing and regional availability have yet to be announced. With Muse Charm, Meta is entering the still-emerging field of physical AI, where products such as Humane’s AI Pin and Rabbit’s R1 have so far failed to achieve lasting success. It remains to be seen whether the company has truly been kissed by the Muse.

September 22, 2026September 22, 2026

Why Save Humanity?

The coffee-table book “RE:VIEW – Wozu die Menschheit retten?” (“RE:VIEW – Why Save Humanity?”) was published on September 14, 2026. “While ESA’s HERA spacecraft is gathering data in space for planetary defense, this book project turns its gaze back toward Earth: What is humanity, what does it destroy, what does it create – and does it deserve a future? Planetary defense – a global challenge with little public visibility. The first part of the book provides the background and tells the story of the first talking spacecraft, which made it into space against all odds. The central question Hera is intended to answer on its mission: Can space objects that come dangerously close to Earth be deflected from a collision course with our home planet through deliberate spacecraft impacts? Collaged illustrations and photographs combine facts with emotion, bringing science to life.” (Publisher’s description) “The book then develops a multifaceted portrait of our species from HERA’s perspective, featuring contributions and conversations between its AI companion and notable figures from science, art, culture, and society.” (Publisher’s description) Contributors include Queen musician and astrophysicist Brian May, former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, the first female space tourist Anousheh Ansari, “Interstellar” visionary Paul Franklin, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, science fiction author Andreas Eschbach, artist Jonathan Meese, and philosopher of technology and machine ethicist Oliver Bendel, who published the book “300 Keywords Weltraum” (“300 Keywords: Space”) in 2025. “In this way, a mission becomes a visually powerful book object exploring humanity, technology, responsibility, and hope.” (Publisher’s description) The 400-page book, featuring numerous images, is available from booksellers (Photo: We Mind Publishing).

September 2, 2026September 9, 2026

Three Months to Go Until ACI 2026

In exactly three months, the thirteenth edition of the Animal-Computer Interaction International Conference (ACI 2026) will begin. The conference will take place from December 2 to 5, 2026, at the FHNW Campus Brugg-Windisch in Switzerland. For the first time in its history, the ACI conference will be held in continental Europe. Registration has been open since the end of July, and preparations for the conference are well underway. All submitted papers have now been peer-reviewed, and acceptance and rejection notifications have been sent to the authors. General Chair Oliver Bendel is pleased to see the conference program taking shape and looks forward to welcoming the ACI community to Brugg-Windisch in December. This year’s conference will also feature three workshops, providing opportunities for focused discussion, exchange, and collaboration on topics relevant to Animal-Computer Interaction and related fields. ACI 2026 brings together perspectives from computer science, informatics, engineering, interaction design, animal behavior and welfare science, veterinary science, ecology, sociology, philosophy, and related disciplines. The conference provides a forum for theoretical, methodological, empirical, and ethical work that advances dialogue around animal-centered research and the design of computing-enabled systems. In an increasingly networked world shaped by pervasive technologies, animals – both human and nonhuman – are entangled in complex webs of interaction. ACI 2026 will explore how technology shapes human-animal relationships, how large-scale technological deployments affect animals, and how future systems can be designed responsibly and ethically. The conference also includes work in Animal-Machine Interaction (AMI), exploring interaction and communication between animals and machines, including autonomous systems such as drones and robots. All information about the conference, program, workshops, and participation is available on the ACI 2026 website: www.aciconf.org.

August 30, 2026August 30, 2026

Oliver Bendel Joins the University of Potsdam as Visiting Scholar

Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel of the FHNW School of Business will be a visiting scholar at the University of Potsdam from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027. He considers himself a philosopher of technology, focusing on technology ethics and emerging fields of applied ethics, particularly information ethics, robot ethics, and machine ethics. In information ethics and robot ethics, he takes an empirically informed or empirically grounded approach that remains close to the subject matter. Ethical judgments are preceded by as precise an empirical and technical analysis as possible: The first step is to determine the specific characteristics of a given system, the functions it provides, the data it processes, and the effects it produces. Only on this basis are normative questions concerning issues such as informational autonomy, privacy, responsibility, or well-being examined. Normative claims are not derived from description alone, and empirical findings and normative premises remain clearly distinguishable. In machine ethics, Bendel complements this approach with a constructive-experimental methodology. He develops and tests prototypes himself, including specialized chatbots, voice assistants, and household robots in which moral rules are implemented. Here, construction serves as a method of inquiry: Its initial purpose is to demonstrate whether and how particular moral rules can be operationalized and implemented technically. The resulting artifacts are then systematically examined to reveal the possibilities, limitations, contradictions, and unexpected consequences of their implementation. This creates a feedback loop involving ethical conceptualization, technical construction, empirical testing, and ethical reflection. Overall, this methodology can therefore be characterized as an empirically grounded and constructive-experimental approach to technology ethics and related fields of research. Since 2022, Oliver Bendel has also been an associated researcher with the Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group (PECoG) at the University of Potsdam.

August 24, 2026August 25, 2026

The 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games

The 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games are taking place in Beijing from August 23 to 25, 2026. More than 2,000 humanoid robots from over 660 teams are competing in 30 sports events and 21 scenario-based competitions. Alongside media and robotics organizations, the Beijing municipal government is one of the co-organizers. Most of the models are general-purpose robots or are based on general-purpose robot platforms that have been modified to varying degrees. While the sports competitions are primarily about spectacle, effects, and emotion, the scenario-based competitions are intended to demonstrate whether the machines can actually perform in manufacturing, logistics, hospitality and catering, retail, household environments, offices, and rescue operations. The fluid movements in kickboxing are particularly impressive, even though the robots are remotely controlled. In tennis, the robots operate autonomously, albeit still at a modest level. The running records are spectacular as well, while slowing down and coming to a controlled stop continue to pose problems. Overall, the picture is clear: things are still somewhat shaky, much like image and video generators were a few years ago, but they are becoming steadily more stable. China has caught up rapidly in general-purpose robots and humanoid robotics more broadly in recent years and now enjoys advantages in manufacturing, infrastructure, supply chains, production volumes, and pricing. Around 80 percent of global shipments now come from China. Ultimately, the event is a demonstration of technological prowess and power.