Symposium
Teaming Up with Generative AI: From Tool Use to Partnership
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden, Germany
25-26 March 2026
Overview
The emergence of generative AI (GenAI) marks a pivotal transformation in the human–technology nexus — a shift as profound as the printing press at the dawn of modernity. We may be witnessing not the end of Humanism, but the beginning of a new era in which GenAI expands access to knowledge, enables translingual dialogue, amplifies reasoning, and fosters new forms of collaboration. But as with all transformative technologies, such potential must be intentionally shaped. Just as the printing press became a vehicle for rational discourse only through active engagement by cultural, intellectual, and political actors, so too must GenAI be guided toward humanistic, ethical, and democratic ends.
The interdisciplinary project The Answering Machine, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, invites you to its concluding symposium that explores how generative AI might enrich rather than erode the cognitive, emotional, creative, and social capacities that define human flourishing. Rather than capitulating to narratives of disruption or decline, this gathering offers a space for interdisciplinary reflection and constructive imagination. In line with our project’s vision, The Answering Machine seeks to chart a course in which GenAI is not merely a tool, but a partner in the ever-changing project of Humanism — attuned to the complexities of the human condition and committed to the pursuit of shared progress.
At the heart of our conversation lie the following questions. These discussions will be enriched by a series of performances in which actors interact with GenAI on stage.
- In what ways can generative AI, appearing as social agents, help to shape a shared future that strengthens rather than diminishes human capabilities?
- What does co-creating with generative AI look like in practice, and how can this collaboration strengthen human agency and creativity?
- How can generative AI support the co-construction of knowledge and competencies, and how might this transform learning processes and critical-thinking skills?
- Which risks and challenges arise when integrating generative AI in education, healthcare, performing arts and other societal domains?
If you have any questions, please contact answeringmachine@tu-dresden.de
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Keynotes
MEDIA STUDIES
Minha Lee, TU/e Eindhoven ↗
Mind over matter? Conversational futures with speculative minds
We denote other beings to have minds of their own when we perceive them to have cognitive and affective capacities, to different degrees. A chatbot can be perceived to have some level of cognition, but not emotions, for instance. But, this bias can be overturned through how the agent and the environment it operates in are designed, which can be speculatively explored. The potential to shape our human perception of non-human “minds” has various ethical considerations to be discussed. The talk will be followed by a collaborative activity.
PSYCHOLOGY
Ute Schmid, University of Bamberg ↗
Requirements for Human AI Alignment in Joint Decision Making and Problem Solving
With the advance of highly performant AI systems – deep learning based classifiers and transformer based generative approaches – there is hope that human AI collaboration will support humans to master complex tasks more efficient as well as in high quality. This is especially relevant for critical tasks such as medical diagnostics or generation of program code for scientific tasks. However, a growing number of empirical studies shows that the best of humans or AI systems outperform human AI teams. Possible reasons are on the one hand over-reliance in the output of AI systems and on the other hand a mismatch between human cognitive processes and AI systems. In the talk, I will propose that we need more human aligned methods of explainable AI as well as novel methods to support human agency and oversight.
COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS
Max van Duijn, Leiden University ↗
Keynote title forthcoming
Abstract forthcoming
Preliminary Program
We offer a diverse program featuring interdisciplinary keynotes and discussions, theatre performances with AI, poster sessions, and a Human–AI Playground that explores the questions introduced in the overview section. Furthermore, you are invited to visit the exhibition Mental Health at the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden, free of charge. Below you will find an overview.
Please also refer to the full program for additional information. The final program will be published by the end of 2026 at the latest. For further details on the venue, meals, accommodation, travel, and transportation, please see the details section.
The symposium will be held in English. The artistic performances on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evening will be in German, as they are open to the general public. However, on Wednesday there will be an artistic performance in English, exclusively for symposium participants.
If you have any questions, please contact answeringmachine@tu-dresden.de
Submission: 01.11.25 – 07.01.26
We welcome you to submit a poster or an artistic/scientific contribution to be presented at the Human-AI-Interaction Playground. The Playground is an interactive event similar to a poster session, but it invites contributors to showcase their experimental setups, prototypes, and live interaction scenarios, giving participants the opportunity to try them out and engage in discussion.
Submissions are open from November 1, 2025, to January 7, 2026. Please read the Call for Contributions below and use the provided submission template to complete your entry. The symposium will be held in English.
For any questions, please contact answeringmachine@tu-dresden.de.
Registration: 15.12.25 – 15.02.26
The register is open from 15.12.2025 until 15.02.2025 for the symposium. Use the template below. Participation is free of charge. However, as we have only 65 spots available, priority will be given to those submitting contributions. We also aim to ensure a balanced mix of interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners.
You will be informed earliest end of January whether you have secured a spot. The artistic performances on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evening will be in German, as they are open to the general public. However, on Wednesday there will be an artistic performance in English, exclusively for symposium participants.
If you have any questions, please contact answeringmachine@tu-dresden.de
Logistics
Here you will find all the important information regarding travel to Dresden, the conference venue, catering, and possible accommodation options for the duration of your stay. Participation in the symposium, including meals (see relevant section), is free of charge.
If you have any questions, please contact answeringmachine@tu-dresden.de.
Arrival
By plane
Dresden Airport (01109 Dresden-Klotzsche) is located about 9 kilometers northeast of the city center. The S-Bahn line S2 provides a direct connection from the airport to Dresden Central Station and the city center (approx. 20 minutes).
By train
Most train journeys to Dresden arrive at Dresden Central Station (Wiener Platz 4, 01069 Dresden), which is well connected to major German cities and some international destinations. From the station, you can reach the conference venue and other parts of the city easily by public transport or on foot.
Transportation
Dresden offers various mobility options
Use the well-developed S-Bahn network and services of the Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB), or opt for flexible alternatives like MOBIbike rental bikes. If you do not have a “Deutschlandticket”, you can purchase day tickets (from €7.50 per day) or a weekly ticket (from €22.40) via the DVB (app: DVB Mobil).
Venues
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden ↗
Address: Lingnerplatz 1, 01069 Dresden
By public transport: Take tram lines 10 or 13 to the stop “Großer Garten”. From there, it’s only about a two-minute walk to the symposiums main entrance.
By car: Paid and disabled parking spaces are available.
Projekttheater Dresden ↗
Address: Louisenstraße 47, 01099 Dresden
By public transport: Take tram line 7 or 8 and get off at Louisenstraße. From there, it’s just a short 2–3 minute walk to the theatre.
By car: Head towards the Neustadt district. There’s limited street parking nearby, so it’s best to use public transport if possible.
Kulturhafen Dresden ↗
Address: Leipziger Straße 31, 01097 Dresden
By public transport: Take tram line 4 or bus 64 to the stop Alexander-Puschkin-Platz. From there, it’s about a 5-minute walk to Kulturhafen.
By car: Drive towards Leipziger Vorstadt. There are some parking spots nearby.
Meals
Both days
Free water, tea, coffee, and a variety of fruit juices will be available throughout the day.
Wednesday
Finger food will be served during the evening event. In addition to the usual beverages, alcoholic drinks and soft drinks will be available for purchase.
Thursday
A buffet featuring vegetarian and vegan dishes, along with a selection of bread, will be offered.
Accommodation
Various accommodation options are available in Dresden. Please note that we do not offer a designated conference hotel.
Hotels in the Old Town (approx. 15 minutes on foot to the conference venue):
Hotels in the Neustadt (approx. 25 min by tram to the conference venue):
Accessibility
If you have any questions regarding the accessibility of the event, please contact us answeringmachine@tu-dresden.de.
For more information about the accessibility of the venues, please visit their website links in the “Venues” section.