18/06/2026
CHIWORK‘26 Brings Leading Research on AI and the Future of Work to Linz 🔝 http://go.jku.at/e25f7
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming workplaces around the world. Alongside new opportunities, it also raises important questions about trust, autonomy, well-being, and the changing relationship between workers and technology.
These questions are at the heart of CHIWORK’26, the 5th Symposium on Human-Computer Interaction for Work, taking place in Linz from June 22–25 at the Ars Electronica Center and JKU’s Science Park. Under the theme “Flow – Fun – Friction”, leading international researchers discuss how AI is reshaping work and how technology can be designed to better support people in their daily working lives.
The conference is chaired by JKU Professor Martina Mara (Psychology of AI & Robotics) and Interdisciplinary Transformation University (IT:U) Professor Philipp Wintersberger (Intelligent User Interfaces), and is organized in cooperation with the ACM, Association for Computing Machinery.
“The key question is not whether AI will become part of our working lives, but how people use, perceive and adapt to these systems in practice,” says Martina Mara. “Understanding issues such as trust in AI-generated information and decision-making at work is essential if we want to design technologies that truly support employees and organizations.”
At CHIWORK’26, scholars from around the world present their latest research on AI-assisted collaboration, AI literacy, employee well-being, digital multitasking, human resources technologies, and new forms of work. A shared focus lies on human-centered approaches that place everyday experiences at the center of analysis and design.
Several members of Mara’s JKU - LIT Robopsychology Lab are closely involved in the organization of CHIWORK’26: Kathrin Meyer serves as Accessibility & Diversity Chair, Sandra M. Siedl takes on the role of Workshop Chair, and Hannah Grosswieser acts as Assistant to the General Chairs.Grosswieser also presents a new study on over-reliance on AI-generated workplace emails, highlighting real-world consequences for office workers. PhD candidate Eugenie Desmedt moreover presents the Syntactic Synthesizer, a haptic interface to large language models that can be played like a musical instrument.
While CHIWORK brings together a global research community, it is also supported by strong regional partners including Ars Electronica, LINZ AG, voestalpine, Pro2Future GmbH, and Arbeiterkammer Oberoesterreich, many of which have long-standing collaborations with JKU on questions related to AI in the workplace.
Hosted at the Ars Electronica Center, CHIWORK’26 also features a public exhibition of interactive demos and artworks in the foyer from June 23–25, offering hands-on perspectives on human-technology interaction in the context of work.