The talk series Artificial Intelligence in Interaction with the Physical World, hosted by Instituto Superior Técnico in partnership with ISR-Lisboa, brought together academia, industry, and public stakeholders to debate how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are shaping real-world systems. Running from June 2025 to February 2026 at the Técnico Innovation Centre, powered by Fidelidade, the six-session program highlighted applications in fields as diverse as robotics, energy, cities, and healthcare, reinforcing Técnico’s role as a national hub for interdisciplinary AI dialogue.
Most sessions focused on key application domains and featured Técnico researchers alongside industry and sectoral experts, offering complementary academic and practical perspectives:
- Inaugural Forum: “AI around us”. (20 June 2025)
with Arlindo Oliveira (Instituto Superior Técnico and INESC-ID); José Santos-Victor (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS), Patrícia Figueiredo (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS), Paulo Ferrão (Instituto Superior Técnico and IN+/LARSyS), Tiago Domingos (Instituto Superior Técnico and MARETEC/LARSyS); Nuno Jardim Nunes (Instituto Superior Técnico and ITI/ LARSyS) moderated by Pedro Lima (President of the Institute for Systems and Robotics – ISR-Lisboa), and Porfírio Silva (Member of the Portuguese Parliament); - The Industry of the Future: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Services.
with Rodrigo Ventura (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS), Christine Marconcin (Critical Techworks), Joana Frazão (Fravizel Engineering), Marlos Silva (Sonae MC) and Ricardo Mendes (TEKEVER), moderated by José Santos-Victor (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS) - Smart Cities and Smart Homes: How Artificial Intelligence transforms common space (21 November 2025). Watch on Youtube
with João Paulo Costeira (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS), Ernesto Morgado (SYSCOG) and Miguel Carvalho (Watt-IS), moderated by Paulo Ferrão (Instituto Superior Técnico and IN+/LARSyS) - Energy, Water, Environment and Agriculture (12 December 2025). Watch on Youtube.
with António Pascoal (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSys), Alexandre Bernardino (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS), João Coimbra (Quinta da Cholda) and Tiago Morais (VirtualCrop), moderated by Tiago Domingos (Instituto Superior Técnico and MARETEC) - Artificial Intelligence in Health: Diagnosis, Treatment and Personalised Care (23rd January 2026). Watch on Youtube.
with Catarina Barata (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS), Francisca Leite (Learning Health/Luz Saúde), Henrique Martins (ISCTE-IUL), Marco Manso (PARTICLE-Summary), moderated by Patrícia Figueiredo (Instituto Superior Técnico and ISR-Lisboa/LARSyS) - Ethics and Social Responsibility of AI (13 February). Watch on Youtube.
with Teresa Almeida (Instituto Superior Técnico and ITI/LARSyS), Luís Barreto Xavier (Abreu Advogados), Paulo Mota Pinto (Faculty of Law, University of Coimbra), moderated by Nuno Jardim Nunes (Instituto Superior Técnico and ITI/LARSyS).
Across all sessions, the initiative sparked thoughtful discussion on the integration of AI into everyday life, highlighting ongoing collaborations between Técnico researchers, ISR-Lisboa, and industry partners.
