Conversations is a session format designed to expose the CHIWORK community to inspiring or thought-provoking ideas and showcase existing work. This track invites proposals for discussions on key ideas, technologies, or studies related to the future of work.
We welcome submissions that either showcase already published work, (a single paper or a body of work) or introduce original provocations that stimulate dialogue on conference themes, drawing from disciplines such as the humanities, social sciences, computing, arts, design, and engineering.
The authors of the selected conversation will be presenting at the conference, in a stimulating panel-like discussion format which will be facilitated by the Conversations Chairs. At least one of the speakers must be present in person at the conference, while the other authors may participate online.
All submissions in this track are Non-Archival, thus authors may re-use and re-submit the content from other peer-reviewed venues. Proposals will be selected by the chairs in a process of multiple decision meetings.
Submissions should be submitted to via EasyChair before the deadline.
Submissions should include a manuscript using the ACM Master Article Submission Template (single column). Here you can find the templates for LaTeX, Word, and Overleaf. If you use LaTeX, please use: documentclass [sigconf, review] {acmart}.
Submissions should be a maximum of two pages (excluding references), that includes a description of the proposed conversation topic and the list of speaker(s) with short biography. Please note that the submitted list of speakers should represent the final line-up. All listed speakers must have confirmed their participation in the panel in the event that the proposal is accepted. While there is no fixed number of speakers, a typical panel would include around 3–5 participants to ensure a lively and balanced discussion.
Please include the following in your submission:
- Motivation and topic of the conversation: Why should this provocation or theme be part of the conversation?
- Examples of published work/ongoing work/open challenges related to your proposed topic (you can provide references to past talks, related papers, blog posts, or other similar content).
- Who would be your intended audience? Researchers, practitioners, all.
- Key provocations, questions, or topics for discussion.
- Introduction of panelists (possibly specifying who would be attending online / in person)
Important dates
All times are in Anywhere on Earth (AoE) time zone. When the deadline is day D, the last time to submit is when D ends AoE. Navigate to the time.is website if you’re not sure.
- Submission deadline: April 10, 2026 (no extension)
- Decision notification: May 2, 2026
- Camera-ready deadline: May 10, 2026
What is a CHIWORK Conversation?
The Conversations track is geared towards creating stimulating discussions at CHIWORK. This will follow a 45 minute panel-style format, where the authors of the selected conversation will be invited to discuss their works in depth, facilitated by the Conversations Chairs. We encourage discussions that highlight real-world experiences of systems that enable new ways of working, discussions on work practices across settings and geographical boundaries, or discussions about different methods and approaches for studying future work practices. In the 2026 CHIWORK edition, the conference gives special attention to future-of-work themes related to the arts and blue-collar domains.
Topics
For the 2026 edition, taking place in Linz, Austria, CHIWORK places particular emphasis on two overarching themes that reflect both the industrial and cultural heritage of the region:
- Blue-Collar Work and Technological Change
How automation, robotics, and AI are reshaping manual, industrial, and craft-based labor; how workers, unions, and organizations experience, negotiate, and co-shape this transformation; and how participation, dignity, and trust can be maintained in times of rapid change. We invite contributions that explore workers’ perspectives, everyday experiences, hopes and concerns, and the design of technologies that support equitable and sustainable futures of blue-collar work. - Future of Work in the Arts and Art–Science Collaboration
How (generative) AI, robotics, and digital tools transform artistic work, creative processes, and cultural economies — and, conversely, how artistic inquiry, design practices, and art–science collaborations can inspire, critique, and reimagine the future of work itself. This includes perspectives from creative practitioners, technologists, and researchers exploring the intersections of art, technology, and labor.
Beyond these focus areas, CHIWORK welcomes submissions on a wide range of topics related to the future of work, including but not limited to:
- Tools for remote work: working from home, working while commuting, and meetings with remote participants
- New ways of getting work done: interleaving work, easy resumption and disengagement, and incorporating well-being needs in productivity tools
- Working and trust with AI and automation: collaboration with AI agents, fairness and transparency, and design for dignity in automated environments
- Technologies for the future of work: networking, AR/VR, wearables, and human–robot collaboration
- Supporting worker well-being and health: maintaining work–life boundaries, supporting movement and recovery, and addressing intersectional dimensions of well-being
- Designing digital tools: fostering professional development, skill adaptation, and personal growth
- Matching and developing worker skills: assessment, job matching, and peer learning platforms
- Inclusion and accessibility: designing for equality and supporting diverse abilities
- Large language models at work: practices, risks, and organizational perspectives
- Security and privacy: protecting infrastructure and ensuring personalized yet private work support
- Novel ways of measuring outcomes: integrating well-being, creativity, and self-reflection into productivity metrics
- Tools and platforms for hiring and managing workers: new models of hiring, onboarding, freelancing, and gig work
- Societal impact: informing policy, integrating stakeholder perspectives, and fostering economic and community resilience
- Sustainability and the future of work: environmental and social sustainability, greener work practices, and assessment methods for sustainable technologies
Selection Process
Submissions will be selected by the chairs in a process of multiple decision meetings. Authors can expect to receive light feedback. The main criterion by which submissions will be judged is their potential to provoke meaningful discussions: Does this work present research contributions, perspectives or ideas that will stimulate interesting conversation among CHIWORK attendees? To what extent will the presenters and audience benefit from exchanging views and feedback at this stage?
The Conversations format is designed to foster interaction rather than presentation. We particularly encourage submissions that are provocative, original, or forward-looking — contributions that question assumptions, bridge disciplines, or open up new ways of thinking about work and technology.
The authors of the selected submission(s) will be invited by the Conversations Chairs to a meeting to organize the panel’s direction, questions, and format.
Conversations Chairs
Chirstina Vasiliou, Open University of Cyprus, Cyprus
Benedikt Leichtmann, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
Garoa Gomez-Beldarrain, TU Delft, Netherlands
For questions, please email [email protected]