Communication Matters Research Study Day 2025

Description

The AAC and AI Study Day involves two 2.5 hour workshops that complement each other with a focus on both technology and its use in practical applications. The full day event encourages deep reflection and strategic planning in relation to design, adoption and use of AI in the field of AAC.

Each workshop is designed to foster active learning and pragmatic thinking, helping attendees shape a more inclusive and innovative future for AAC. All delegates will attend both half day workshops, swapping rooms to their new workshop after the shared lunchtime.

Workshop 1 is led by Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, Jamie Preece, Emma Sullivan, and Dr Katherine Broomfield. The focus of this workshop is on real-world strategies and user experiences in relation to AI-enhanced or assisted AAC. Through small and large group discussion, online polls, and active learning, this workshop will involve looking at the now, the immediate future, and the distant future in relation to how we are using and want to use AI in the field of AAC. This workshop will focus on the practical use of Generative AI (GenAI) to support AAC users, emphasizing real-world strategies, co-design, social issues, and user experiences over technical or theoretical discussions.

Workshop 2 is led by Professor Annalu Waller, Dr Tom Griffiths, and Rohan Slaughter. The focus of this session will be on the implementation of AI in AAC, reviewing where we are now with the technology, what impact it has already had on the field and the ongoing discussions about its responsible use. In particular, the session builds on previous work by the presenters around the need for guidelines that promote the ethical use of the technology. Through a mix of short research presentations and workshop activities, the session will explore questions around user and professional attitudes towards AI. We will discuss how its benefits can be best realised, while steering clear of its more concerning pitfalls. Delegates will be invited to discuss their real-world experiences of the technology, to take part in an ongoing research project, and to share experience of using and supporting AI-enabled AAC. The session will also include presentations of several recent and current projects that showcase some current thinking about AI in AAC, and explore professional and user attitudes towards the technology.

Period	10 Sept 2025
Event type	Workshop
Location	Leeds, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International