Work Culture Festival 2026: Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work, Photo: © Drees & Sommer

Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work

Physical AI is fundamentally transforming the world of work. As AI evolves from simply thinking to taking action, new forms of collaboration between people, robotics and intelligent buildings are emerging.

This session explores the technological, organizational and cultural impact of robotics and AI on businesses. Through concrete examples and future scenarios, it shows how workplaces are evolving from static environments into intelligent, data-driven ecosystems – and examines the opportunities and challenges this creates for leadership, acceptance, safety and organizational culture.

Key takeaway: The success of organizations will not be determined by having the most intelligent machines, but by their ability to create intelligent collaboration between people, spaces and AI systems.

Photo: © Drees & Sommer

Presentation language: German

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Four days. Lots of highlights. And that’s just the start.

The programme is constantly expanding with new talks, panel discussions, workshops and interactive spaces.

Angelique Kerber

Fairness and Team Spirit: Values in Elite Sports and the Workplace

Michael Trautmann, Oskar Trautmann & Johannes Füß

Zoomer Meets Boomer: Leadership That Connects

Cornelia Poletto

"Cooking Is Like Music": What Businesses Can Learn from Fine Dining

Toan Nguyen & Dr Anne Latz

What Happens When a Doctor and an Entrepreneur Come Together to Rethink the Future of Healthcare? (live podcast)

Katharina Wolff, Alexandra Barth, Dr Tanja Becker and Alissa Stein (Moderation)

UNSUCK HR: How to Transform HR from a Cost Center into a Profit Center

Dr Caroline von Kretschmann

Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World

Fabian Kienbaum, Dr. Laura Kienbaum & Gesine Braun

Office Bullshit Bingo 2026

Benedetta Tagliabue

Architonic Design Minds at Work: Benedetta Tagliabue

Jörn Lehmann & Oliver Mack

Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work

Amelie Marie Fischer & Dr Ann-Sophie Lauterbach

Social Thinking About Space: From Office to Connection

Andrea Schmidt & Daniela Merkenich

RESI Rocks: Sustainable Architecture Meets a New Work Culture

Bernd Fisel, Andreas Stieglbauer, Maximilian Schumacher & Alice Wildhack 

Less Space, More Value: Why the Future of the Office Isn’t Decided by Square Metres

Birgit Gebhardt & Winni Ransmayr

The Office as a Playful Arena: What Spaces, Realities, and Shared Experiences Do We Need to Improve Together with AI?

Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Beyond Green Buildings: Redefining Workplace Sustainability in the Age of the AI

Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache, Primo Orpilla, Alina Rehorst

Workplace as Strategy: Designing Organisations, Not Just Offices

Jörn Lehmann & Oliver Mack

Beyond ChatGPT: When AI Becomes Physical (Workshop)

Rebecca Schnelle

Health Management in Practice (Workshop)

Dr Martin Führ, Klaus Bröhl, Álvaro López Arroyo, Volker Weßels (Moderator)

R-evolve Update: The Digital Product Passport

Bernd Fisel & Andreas Stieglbauer

From Square Metres to Added Value: Identifying, Evaluating and Implementing Efficiency Levers for Office Space (Workshop)

Architonic Design Minds at Work: Benedetta Tagliabue

Benedetta Tagliabue

Work Culture Festival 2026: Architonic Design Minds at Work: Benedetta Tagliabue, Foto: © Sergi Alcazar BNhigh
Oct 29 10:45

Fairness and Team Spirit: Values in Elite Sports and the Workplace

Angelique Kerber

Oct 29 11:15

Zoomer Meets Boomer: Leadership That Connects

Michael Trautmann, Oskar Trautmann & Johannes Füß

Work Culture Festival 2026: Title, Photo: © Johannes Füß, Oskar Trautmann, Michael Trautmann
Oct 29 10:30

Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work

Jörn Lehmann & Oliver Mack

Work Culture Festival 2026: Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work, Photo: © Drees & Sommer
Oct 29 11:30

Social Thinking About Space: From Office to Connection

Amelie Marie Fischer & Dr Ann-Sophie Lauterbach

Work Culture Festival 2026: Soziales Raumdenken: Vom Büro zur Begegnung, Photo: © Amelie Marie Fischer & Dr Ann-Sophie Lauterbach
Oct 29 12:15

Beyond ChatGPT: When AI Becomes Physical (Workshop)

Jörn Lehmann & Oliver Mack

Work Culture Festival 2026: Beyond ChatGPT: When AI Becomes Physical (Workshop), Photo: © Drees & Sommer
Oct 29 12:30

"Cooking Is Like Music": What Businesses Can Learn from Fine Dining

Cornelia Poletto

Work Culture Festival 2026: Cooking is like music, Photo: © Melanie Dreysse
Oct 29 12:45

What Happens When a Doctor and an Entrepreneur Come Together to Rethink the Future of Healthcare? (live podcast)

Toan Nguyen & Dr Anne Latz

Work Culture Festival 2026: What Happens When a Doctor and an Entrepreneur Come Together to Rethink the Future of Healthcare?, Photo: © Leading Minds
Oct 29 13:30

UNSUCK HR: How to Transform HR from a Cost Center into a Profit Center

Katharina Wolff, Alexandra Barth, Dr Tanja Becker and Alissa Stein (Moderation)

Work Culture Festival 2026: UNSUCK HR: Wie man HR vom Cost zum Profit Center entwickelt, Fotos: © Katharina Wolff, Dominik Pfau,  Dr. Tanja Becker, Alexandra Barth
Oct 29 14:15

Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World

Dr Caroline von Kretschmann

Work Culture Festival 2026: Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World, Photo: © Leading Minds
Oct 29 15:00

Office Bullshit Bingo 2026

Fabian Kienbaum, Dr. Laura Kienbaum & Gesine Braun

Work Culture Festival 2026: Office Bullshit Bingo 2026, Photos: © Fabian Kienbaum / Dr. Laura Kienbaum / Henning Kretschmer, Harvard Business manager
Oct 29 15:45

Health Management in Practice (Workshop)

Rebecca Schnelle

Work Culture Festival 2026: Health Management in Practice, Foto: © Rebecca Schnelle
Oct 29 11:15

RESI Rocks: Sustainable Architecture Meets a New Work Culture

Andrea Schmidt & Daniela Merkenich

Work Culture Festival 2026: RESI Rocks: Sustainable Architecture Meets a New Work Culture, Photo: © Karolina Parot
Oct 29 13:00

R-evolve Update: The Digital Product Passport

Dr Martin Führ, Klaus Bröhl, Álvaro López Arroyo, Volker Weßels (Moderator)

Work Culture Festival 2026: R-evolve Update: The Digital Product Passport, Foto: © iStock, ismagilov
Oct 29 13:45

Less Space, More Value: Why the Future of the Office Isn’t Decided by Square Metres

Bernd Fisel, Andreas Stieglbauer, Maximilian Schumacher & Alice Wildhack 

Work Culture Festival 2026: Less Space, More Value: Why the Future of the Office Isn’t Decided by Square Metres, Photo: © Drees & Sommer, Maximilian Schumacher, Alice Wildhack, Drees & Sommer
Oct 29 13:45

The Office as a Playful Arena: What Spaces, Realities, and Shared Experiences Do We Need to Improve Together with AI?

Birgit Gebhardt & Winni Ransmayr

Work Culture Festival 2026: SIMULATE – The Office as a Playful Arena,  Photo: © Birgit Gebhardt
Oct 29 14:30

From Square Metres to Added Value: Identifying, Evaluating and Implementing Efficiency Levers for Office Space (Workshop)

Bernd Fisel & Andreas Stieglbauer

Work Culture Festival 2026: From Square Metres to Added Value: Identifying, Evaluating and Implementing Efficiency Levers for Office Space (Workshop), Photo: © Drees & Sommer
Oct 29 15:00

Beyond Green Buildings: Redefining Workplace Sustainability in the Age of the AI

Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Work Culture Festival 2026: Redefining Workplace Sustainability in the Age of the AI, Photo: © Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache
Oct 29 15:15

Workplace as Strategy: Designing Organisations, Not Just Offices

Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache, Primo Orpilla, Alina Rehorst

Work Culture Festival 2026: Workplace as Strategy: Designing Organisations, Not Just Offices, Photo: © Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache
Oct 29 16:00
Get your ticket here ORGATEC / WW-Festival 2026