Robots that help children learn, play, and feel better, dream or reality? In this episode, we talk with Mike Ligthart, researcher of social robots in education and healthcare. Together with Professor Frank van Harmelen, we explore how intelligent these robots should actually be. From simulated empathy to storytelling, Mike explains how robots can build real connections with children, and where the ethical boundaries lie.

But what happens when smart technology falls into the wrong hands? How do we prevent misuse while still developing systems that can genuinely improve education and healthcare? Mike highlights the importance of responsible design and collaboration, while Frank explains how hybrid intelligence can help maintain those ethical boundaries.

From facial recognition to predictive policing, technology is increasingly being used to support legal decision-making. But how far do we want to go? Could AI replace a judge? Is AI the answer to miscarriages of justice?

In this episode, Cor Steging, researcher in Explainable AI and a critical voice on the reliability of AI in legal decision-making, joins the discussion. Also with us is Frank van Harmelen, Professor of AI and specialist in hybrid intelligence, here to shed light on the balance between AI and human decision-making.

AI is advancing at lightning speed, transforming economies, politics, and the way we trust information. But what happens when we begin to trust AI more than ourselves? In this episode of Hybrid Society, we dive into the foundations of AI trust, flawed data, misinformation, and the growing concentration of power. 

With insights from Siddharth Mehrothra, expert on the risks of overreliance, and Professor Catholijn Jonker, leading advocate for Hybrid Intelligence, we explore whether transparency, collaboration, and decentralization can truly keep AI in check. From the promise of safety through centralized projects like “Stargate” to the dangers of global misinformation control, this conversation confronts the paradox at the heart of our AI-driven future: Do we control AI, or does AI control us?

What happens when artificial intelligence learns our values, or ignores them completely? In this episode of Hybrid Society, hosts Joshiya Mitsunaga and Catholijn Jonker talk with researcher Enrico Liscio about the promises and risks of hybrid intelligence, the clash between freedom and regulation, and what it means when machines start negotiating human values.