Designing Robots, Designing Society: Opportunity or Automating Inequality?
Join Katie Winkle (Uppsala University) for the Peter Kirstein Lecture 2026, UCL Computer Science’s flagship event, exploring how robots could shape the future of society – for better or worse.
This year’s lecture coincides with International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) and features an all-female line-up of leading researchers to explore the future of robotics, AI and society.
Abstract
We are at a pivotal moment in the history of robotics.
Robots are quietly moving from novelty to normal, increasingly found on our streets, in our hospitals, schools and homes.
At the same time, social inequality is skyrocketing: polarisation is increasing, economic inequality is growing, gender equality is going backwards. Robots have the power to change our behaviour, influence our thinking and shape how we interact with each other; will they help solve these problems?
Or will they make everything worse?
We need to move beyond the narrow visions promoted by big tech and work towards human-machine futures that reflect the kinds of societies we want to live in.
Science‑fiction visions of robot dystopias are a real possibility, but they are not inevitable.
There is still time to do better, to do different. To quote John Connor, in his quest against Skynet: “the future has not been written. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.”
Katie will argue that designing robots is really an act of designing society; she believes they really can unlock more equal, joyful and meaningful ways of living, but only if we start thinking (and designing) differently.
Fireside chat and Q&A
Following the lecture, Dr Katie Winkle will join Professor Yvonne Rogers, Professor of Interaction Design at UCL, for a fireside chat and audience Q&A exploring the societal impact of robotics, AI and human-machine interaction.
The discussion will be moderated by Dr Victoria Austin, Co-Chair of the Department’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee.
Reception
Guests are invited to continue the conversation at a reception in the ICH Winter Gardens.
Live stream
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be live-streamed.
Please select the appropriate ticket when booking through Eventbrite.
UCL200
This event forms part of UCL200, celebrating 200 years of UCL’s history of challenging convention and advancing new ideas. As part of UCL’s bicentenary year, the Peter Kirstein Lecture brings together leading voices to explore how emerging technologies can help shape a more equitable future.
About the speakers
Katie Winkle is an Assistant Professor at Uppsala University whose research explores the intersection of robotics, design and the social sciences.
Her work examines how robots and autonomous systems reflect and influence power and inequality, with a focus on creating more equitable and socially responsible human-machine futures.
Her award-winning research in feminist human-robot interaction is shaping new directions in the field.
Yvonne Rogers is a leading researcher in human-computer interaction and human-centred AI, exploring how technology can better support everyday life, learning and decision-making.
She has published more than 350 papers and books, including a globally used textbook on interaction design.
Her contributions to the field have been recognised through major honours including Fellowship of the Royal Society and the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Research Award.
Victoria's work explores the intersection of disability justice, technology and global development, with a focus on creating more inclusive and equitable futures.
She co-founded the Global Disability Innovation Hub and helped shape the first WHO Global Report on Assistive Technology.
She is also Co-Chair of the UCL Computer Science Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
About the Peter Kirstein Lecture Series
The Peter Kirstein Lecture is the flagship lecture series for UCL Computer Science. It honours Peter Kirstein, our founding Head of Department and a key figure in the global development of computer science.
Peter’s work often challenged the status quo and helped reshape society, not just in the West but also in emerging nations after the fall of the Soviet Union.
In the spirit of Peter Kirstein’s legacy, the lecture series brings bold voices to UCL Computer Science to challenge assumptions and explore how technology can shape society.
Together with Peter, we agreed that the lecture series should welcome new staff involvement and feature bold speakers who encourage new thinking.
Find out more about the Peter Kirstein Lecture Series
This is the sixth lecture in the series, organised by Dr Daniel Tozadore, Dr Maria Del Rio-Chanona, Dr He Ye, Professor Daniel Alexander, Vajeeha Farooq, Victoria Cooper-Cahill, and Sam Stockdale.
Further information
Ticketing
Ticketed and Pre-booking essential
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes
