/A RSS feed provided by Umeå Universityen-usThu, 11 Jun 2026 20:16:39 +0200/en/events/humlab-talk-imagining-companionship_12174643/This talk explores the cultural, affective, and ethical dimensions of living with companion robots.Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0200<p><strong>Imagining Companionship: AI, Robots, and the Future of Intimacy in Japan</strong></p><p><strong>With:</strong> Prof. Hirofumi Katsuno, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan</p><p>Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Japan, this talk explores the cultural, affective, and ethical dimensions of living with companion robots. Drawing on cases from Japan's emerging companion robot market, I examine how human-robot intimacy is imagined, practiced, and contested across different social contexts. In doing so, I consider what approaches to AI/robot companionship emerging from Japan might contribute to broader cross-cultural conversations on the future of human-machine relations.</p><p><strong>Hirofumi Katsuno</strong> is Professor of Anthropology and Media Studies at Doshisha University in Kyoto. His research investigates how people engage with emerging media and robotic technologies, and how these interactions shape imagination, agency, and a sense of presence in everyday life. His current projects are available at <a href="http://modelemotion.org">modelemotion.org</a>.</p><div class="epi-contentfragment">Registration Humlab Talk hybrid</div>Humlab – H2 / ZoomLecture/en/events/humlab-talk-imagining-companionship_12174643/2026-09-07T10:00:00+02:002026-09-07T12:00:00+02:00/en/events/humlab-talk-anabela-carvalho_12177361/Humlab Talk with Anabela Carvalho, University of MinhoThu, 24 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0200<p><em>This seminar is presented in collaboration between the Higher Seminar in Media and Communication Studies, Humlab and UTRI.&nbsp;</em><strong><br /><br />Bio</strong></p><p>Anabela Carvalho (PhD, University College London) is an Associate Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences of the University of Minho, Portugal. She has an extensive experience of research on climate change communication and has authored influential analyses of the discourses of various social actors and the media in the United Kingdom, Portugal and other countries. Citizens&rsquo; engagement with climate change and (bio-)sustainability, and especially the conditions for political engagement, have been on of her main research interests.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Humlab / ZoomLecture/en/events/humlab-talk-anabela-carvalho_12177361/2026-09-24T15:00:00+02:002026-09-24T17:00:00+02:00