HUMIC – Humans and Machines in Conversation: Linguistic, Social and Relational Perspectives
The rapid rise of generative AI has transformed human–machine interaction, yet systems still struggle with culturally nuanced language, social and relational dynamics and complex context.
Led by Dr Doris Dippold, this workshop will bring together interdisciplinary experts and industry partners to advance socially and linguistically informed conversational AI, enabling more inclusive and effective technologies across health, public services, education and commercial settings.
As generative AI and large language models reshape how we interact with chatbots, voice assistants and conversational agents, HUMIC focuses on the linguistic, social and relational dimensions of these technologies—areas often overlooked in technical development.
HUMIC, led by Dr. Doris Dippold and supported by the Surrey Institute for Advanced Studies, the BAAL Special Interest Group ‘Humans, Machines, Languages’ and the Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI, aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and connect academic insights with industry practice. The aim of the workshop is to advance conversational technologies that are context-aware, socially responsive, and cater for their users’ rapport needs.
