As AI rewrites the design toolkit in real time, UX research sits at a particular crossroads. Synthesised insights, automated analysis, simulated participants; the production layer of research is compressing fast. For design leaders trying to prove strategic value inside organisations, that creates both an opportunity and a threat. This talk moves beyond tool-centric debates to ask the harder question: when parts of the research process can be automated or simulated, what does good research actually require — and what does it cost an organisation when that gets lost? From the perspective of a design leader accountable for decisions, not just methods, Jason Giles reflects on how AI is exposing long-standing assumptions about certainty, evidence, and judgment. Drawing from real experiences where trade-offs had to be made and judgment was tested, he explores where human expertise still matters most, which responsibilities cannot be delegated to systems, and how we maintain authenticity and trust when insight is increasingly co-produced by humans and machines. This is not a talk about prompts, platforms, or productivity hacks. It is a candid, values-driven reflection on responsibility, discernment, and ethical judgment in an AI-augmented world—and an invitation for researchers and design leaders to re-ground their craft around what must remain human, even as their tools evolve.

AI isn't coming to design, it's already here. But between the hype cycle and the panic, there's a gap: the real work of building with AI when you're shipping products, managing teams, and working with real constraints. This talk cuts through the noise. We'll explore what it actually means to integrate AI into your design practice and product workflow; not as a feature checkbox, but as infrastructure that changes how teams work. We’ll explore the practical realities of how AI is changing the shape of design work, where it genuinely speeds you up (and where it doesn't), and what it takes to lead a team through this shift without losing what makes design matter.

Many UX professionals spend years mastering research, strategy and design, yet still struggle to create impact. This talk explores the difference between UX competence and organisational competence, and why understanding people, trust, influence and alignment is often what determines whether great UX work creates real change. Drawing on lessons from consulting and enterprise environments, it challenges the idea that identifying problems is enough and argues that understanding how organisations work is just as important as understanding users.

As AI becomes embedded in more of the products we design, an uncomfortable reality has emerged: systems can work exactly as intended and still cause harm. From recommendation engines that resurface painful memories, to biometric AI that performs poorly on underrepresented groups, to automated decisions that quietly exclude vulnerable users, many of the most damaging failures in AI aren’t caused by bad actors. They’re the result of perfectly reasonable design decisions made with incomplete data, narrow assumptions, or the wrong optimisation goals. In this talk, Dr Lizette Spangenberg explores how algorithmic cruelty emerges in everyday products and why traditional UX approaches often fail to catch it. Drawing on examples from social media, consumer technology, and healthcare AI, she introduces practical frameworks that help teams identify who a system works worst for, uncover hidden risks, and design more humane AI-driven experiences. Attendees will leave with a new lens for evaluating AI products and a set of actionable tools they can apply immediately within their own organisations.

How politeness, workshops, and fake alignment drive products into the ground by Tomislav Kozacinski

We spend years learning how to make products usable. But what makes them feel effortless, trustworthy or even joyful? This talk explores the often overlooked qualities that give software personality, and why those qualities are becoming even more valuable in the age of AI.