Hybrid Society
Hybrid Society is a provocative podcast exploring the uneasy co‑evolution of humans and artificial intelligence.
Hosted by Joshiya Mitsunaga, with co‑hosts Prof. Catholijn Jonker (Professor of Interactive Intelligence at TU Delft) and Prof. Frank van Harmelen (Full Professor of Knowledge Representation & Reasoning, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), each episode unpacks the political, ethical, and philosophical tensions at the heart of smart technology.
From algorithmic injustice to value misalignment, we confront the hard questions Silicon Valley would rather you didn’t ask.
Hybrid Society
Can AI Negotiate Better Than Humans?
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In this episode of Hybrid Society, we spotlight AI negotiation researcher Bram Renting (Leiden University & Delft University of Technology). Together with hosts Joshiya Mitsunaga and Catholijn Jonker, Bram takes us inside the cutting edge of AI systems that don’t just schedule meetings—but actively negotiate complex human preferences.
Bram shares how his research uses advanced techniques like deep reinforcement learning to build AI that can handle layered, value-driven negotiations—from coordinating busy agendas to optimizing energy distribution at a societal level. He explains why even a “simple” calendar appointment hides complex trade-offs, and how scalable, human-in-the-loop systems can keep negotiations transparent, fair, and aligned with our values.
Can AI truly understand what matters to us? And how do we ensure it negotiates with us, not for someone else? Bram offers practical insights, recent breakthroughs, and a compelling vision for hybrid intelligence—where humans and AI negotiate better together.
