From technologies that study emotions to robots that work alongside people

From algorithms that enable the assessment of workers’ stress levels to robots that share production spaces with people, right through to research into the effects of digital technologies on emotions and decision-making processes. These are just some of the research activities carried out by the Politecnico di Milano as part of HumanTech – Humans and Technology, a project run by the Department of Management Engineering that investigates the relationship between people and digital technologies to promote industrial systems that are more sustainable, inclusive and mindful of human wellbeing. The project comprises over 80 research activities and utilises three experimental facilities dedicated to the study of human-technology interaction.

HumanTech took centre stage at the event “Human Agency in the AI Era – Research and Business in Support of People-Centred Technologies and Innovations”, held today at the Bovisa Campus of the Politecnico di Milano. Following the official welcome, the proceedings were opened by Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan friar, professor at LUISS Guido Carli and the Pontifical Gregorian University, and chair of the Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Labour’s Observatory on Artificial Intelligence, who stated: “Within the innovation process that characterises the adoption of artificial intelligence, it is essential to maintain a significant degree of human control so that, once delegated, processes do not become irreversible or unmanageable.”

The event brought together representatives from academia, business and institutions to discuss how to design, adopt and manage artificial intelligence technologies in a sustainable, inclusive manner that prioritises people’s wellbeing.
Funded by the Ministry of Universities and Research for the period 2023–2027 as part of the ‘Departments of Excellence’ initiative, HumanTech integrates technological and industrial expertise with economic, managerial, behavioural and social science expertise. The research is structured around three complementary strands: the design of people-centred digital technologies; the development of resilient and sustainable production processes and supply chains; and the adoption of organisational models and working systems that put people at the centre.

“HumanTech aims to reshape the relationship between technology and people to ensure a sustainable digital transition of industrial systems, through models of technological development that also take into account the implications for people, society and the environment – says Raffaella Cagliano, Head of the Department of Management Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano – HumanTech now represents a strategic platform for contributing to the global debate on how to design and govern technologies whilst keeping people at the centre and creating value for organisations and society. With one year to go until the project’s scheduled conclusion, the challenge is to continue cutting-edge research, strengthen our international scientific standing and expand collaborations with businesses to increase the economic and social impact of the results achieved’.