Hosted by Lyon Catholic University (UCLy) in collaboration with Birkbeck, University of London, and Brunel University London, this groundbreaking event will take place on March 24–25, 2026, at UCLy in Lyon. As the second edition of this conference series, ICAIST 2026 strengthens a dynamic and recurring platform that brings together leading academics, industry professionals, and innovators to explore the frontiers of workplace transformation.
ICAIST 2026 presentation
ICAIST 2026 will feature:
- Thought leadership – showcasing pioneering ideas, emerging trends, and critical insights at theintersection of AI and organizational transformation.
- Strategy and Management – addressing AI’s broader impact on organizational structure,leadership, and strategic decision-making.
At ICAIST 2026, attendees will have unique opportunities to exchange insights and ideas, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Industry case studies, academic research, and special issue publishing opportunities will ensure participants gain a holistic view of AI’s role in shaping the future of the workplace.
Join us for this landmark event, where innovation meets collaboration, and the future of work begins.
Overview & Context
Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from a technological innovation into a defining force shaping every aspect of organizational life: leadership, learning, talent development, and strategy. AI systems now support, and sometimes supplant, human judgment, raising fundamental questions about what it means to lead, learn, and develop as human beings in an era of automation. HRD’s mission has always extended beyond performance enhancement. It is grounded in human growth, reflective learning, and ethical practice (Garavan, McGuire, & Carbery, 2023; Watkins & Marsick, 2023). Yet, as algorithmic systems increasingly drive decision-making, HRD faces a developmental paradox: How can technological progress coexist with the preservation of empathy, reflection, and moral reasoning?
This conference positions vulnerability as a vital developmental construct for addressing that paradox. Vulnerability often misunderstood as weakness is the openness to uncertainty, feedback, and learning. It is the foundation for trust, authenticity, and psychological safety (Edmondson & Lei, 2014; Kahn, 2018). Within HRD, it represents the courage to engage ethically and relationally amid change.
AI heightens human capability but also exposes human fragility. It accelerates learning and efficiency but can suppress reflection and compassion (Raisch & Krakowski, 2021). In this context, embracing vulnerability becomes an act of leadership and renewal. It enables individuals and organizations to learn from error, question assumptions, and align technological advancement with human purpose (Boyatzis, 2018; Li, 2024).
By centring vulnerability, this conference invites scholars and practitioners to explore how vulnerability can serve as a developmental pathway for ethical leadership, sustainable learning, and strategic renewal in AI-mediated contexts.
Conceptual rationale and contribution
Vulnerability as Developmental Strength
Vulnerability is the capacity to remain open to learning, feedback, and emotional exposure in pursuit of growth. Leaders who model vulnerability cultivate psychological safety and creativity, while organizations that normalize it foster cultures of trust and authenticity (Edmondson, 1999). Within HRD, vulnerability becomes a developmental intelligence one that transforms uncertainty into insight and dependence into interdependence.
AI and the Human Development Paradox
AI amplifies efficiency but risks narrowing the human capacity for judgment and empathy. HRD must act as a counterbalance integrating technological capability with reflective and moral awareness.
Vulnerability is the bridge between algorithmic precision and human compassion, allowing for deeper ethical reflection and adaptive learning (Ghosh, 2024; Yoo et al., 2024).
Strategic Renewal through Human-Centred Development
In contexts of disruption, vulnerability enables renewal through dialogue, experimentation, and humility. It reframes leadership as relational rather than hierarchical, learning as co-creation rather than transmission, and strategy as reflection rather than prediction (George, Maher, & Joshi, 2021). In doing so, it positions HRD as a transformative force for sustainable organizational futures.
Core Themes
Theme 1 – The Human Development Paradox in the Age of AI
AI reshapes how humans learn, relate, and lead. This theme investigates how HRD can sustain human reflection, emotional intelligence, and developmental integrity in technologically augmented organizations. This theme invites contributions that explore how Human Resource Development (HRD) can sustain reflection, emotional intelligence, and developmental integrity in AI-augmented organisations.
Theme 2 – Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainable Human Development
This theme explores how vulnerability can ground ethical awareness and responsible HRD practice, ensuring that AI and automation contribute to sustainable, just, and human-centred futures. It calls papers that connect AI ethics, leadership development, and sustainability within the context of HRD
Theme 3 – Strategic Renewal and Global HRD Futures
In an era of volatility, vulnerability becomes a strategic and cultural asset that enables adaptive learning and renewal. This theme invites research on how HRD can drive ethical innovation, strategic agility and global development in AI-mediated contexts.
