Learn Across Disciplines
Hear from scholars working in computer science, software and systems engineering, philosophy, organizational research, inclusion, and society.
Lunchtime Talk Series
Interdisciplinary
Perspectives on
Human-Centered
Technology
A lunchtime talk series bringing together researchers and practitioners from computer science, social science, philosophy, and design to explore the role of technology in society.
Through talks and discussion, the series focuses on systems, society, AI, inclusion, and human agency.
About the Series
Technology shapes how we work, interact, and make decisions, yet it is often designed within disciplinary silos. This series creates a space for dialogue across fields and for deeper reflection on responsibility, values, and societal impact.
Join the Discussion
Each session combines a talk with open discussion designed to surface different perspectives.
Build Community
Meet others interested in human-centered approaches to systems, AI, and digital transformation.
Featured Speakers
The series brings together perspectives from software and systems engineering, AI, philosophy, sociotechnical studies, and global contexts.
Viola Schiaffonati
Professor, Politecnico di Milano
Edward A. Lee
Professor of the Graduate School, UC Berkeley
Lynda Hardman
Professor, Utrecht University / Principal Researcher, CWI
Carlo Ghezzi
Emeritus Professor, Politecnico di Milano
Mohammad Reza Mousavi
Professor of Software Engineering, King's College London
Barbara Steffen
PhD Researcher & Research Fellow, University of Potsdam
Upcoming Sessions
Dates will be announced soon. Click a speaker's photo or name to visit their website.
Oct. 6, 2026
AI-related risks: A philosophical analysis
Read abstract
Risks connected with AI systems are now a recurrent topic in public and academic debates. In this talk I will offer a philosophical analysis of such risks with the aim of providing a comprehensive and general framework to think about AI-related risks. First, by building upon the existing literature on natural disaster risk analysis, I will present a multi-component analysis of risk and discuss its benefits in terms not only of conceptual clarification but also of possible mitigation. Second, by adopting a multi-hazard and multi-risk framework, I will analyze AI-related risks as potentially emerging from the combination of the risks related to the different elements of the AI system and its context of use. This talk will provide a concrete example of the vital role of philosophical analysis for human-centered AI technologies.
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Barbara Steffen
Join Online via Zoom
The sessions will be hosted virtually via Zoom. Click below to join the live session.
Contact
The seminar series is supported by the ASSURE project, within MDU's multidisciplinary initiative.
For questions, collaboration inquiries, or speaker suggestions, please get in touch.
Marjan Sirjani
Mälardalen University
[email protected]
Sara Abbaspour
Mälardalen University
[email protected]