The ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems took place in Barcelona 13–17 April, 2026. This big gathering attracts thousands of international researchers and practitioners working in human-centred computing, with this year’s discussions notably centred on AI integration across topics including augmented reality, social computing, user studies and interactive devices.
alignAI doctoral candidate Tuan-Ting Huang attended the conference and presented a poster titled “Workmanship of Learning: Embedding Craftsmanship Values in AI-Integrated Educational Tools“, proposing a value-oriented framework for design education in the age of AI. The work introduces the concept of AI Craftsmanship, a renewed emphasis on craft values, exploring how AI can support human agency in learning while fostering creative struggle and productive friction-both essential to meaningful education. While the values underpinning this work are still being explored and evaluated, the framework offers a foundation for rethinking design pedagogy in the context of technology.
Beyond her presentation, Tuan was particularly inspired by research on AI in education, AI ethics and spirituality in HCI. Dangol and colleagues examined why educators adopt or resist AI tools for teaching, identifying barriers that often extend beyond individual choice to involve institutional and societal constraints. On a personal level, many educators expressed concern about maintaining their unique teaching style and voice in course materials, underscoring how individual and systemic factors shape AI tool adoption. Similarly, Batra et al.’s “Convivial Fabrication” explored the relationships among individuals, tools and materials across multiple levels, extending this lens to institutions and infrastructures. This multi-scale perspective is crucial when designing AI systems and considering their diverse stakeholders.
AI ethics was also a major part of the conference discussions. Two papers left a particular impression: one examining how to co-design AI ethics through the lens of Islamic communities and another exploring HCI through Daoist philosophy. These works emphasised that value alignment cannot assume universal applicability as different communities prioritise different values, and designing for pluralism requires understanding these distinct perspectives.
To further explore the embodied dimensions of values and AI, Tuan also attended a workshop on Soma AI through Haiku writing. The central question was: where is the body in designing (through) AI? Over three hours, participants from diverse academic and artistic backgrounds explored different dimensions of AI. Some through dance and movement, others through visual art and zine-making, and still others through critical analysis. This interdisciplinary exchange provided a refreshing counterpoint to traditional academic modes of inquiry.
Attending CHI’26 offered Tuan a global perspective on AI in education and ethics, exposing her to practices and thinking beyond what she encountered at TU Eindhoven. The connections made with scholars and educators worldwide reinforced the importance of exploring multiple perspectives when discussing values in AI design.
Reference
Batra, R., Zunder, R., Cheatle, A., Kwatra, A., Mandel, I., Roumen, T., & Jackson, S. J. (2026). Convivial fabrication: Towards relational computational tools for and from craft practices. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1–17). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790395.
Campbell-Esen, R., Mahoney, J., & Talhouk, R. (2026). Co-designing Islamic AI ethics: Insights from the UK Muslim Community. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1–18). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790413.
Dangol, A., Kotiyal, S., Wolfe, R., Bowers, A. J., Vigil, A., Yip, J., Kientz, J. A., Shahid, S., Yeh, T., Cho, V., & Davis, K. (2026). Relief or displacement? How teachers are negotiating generative AI’s role in their professional practice. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1–21). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3791904.
Núñez-Pacheco, C., Sanches, P., Benjamin, J. J., Nicenboim, I., Prpa, M., Fdili Alaoui, S., & Rennerova, M. (2026). Where is the body in designing (through) AI? Frictions and opportunities in integrating AI with Soma Design. In Proceedings of the extended abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1–7). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3778774.
Zhu, A. P., Mah, K., & Cho, J. (2026). Toward pluralizing reflection in HCI through Daoism. In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1–21). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790853.