AI, Humans, and Evolving Sociotechnical Systems
Abstract
As artificial intelligence accelerates in capability and scale, understanding its integration into society requires a shift from narrow technical perspectives to holistic sociotechnical thinking. AI systems are not standalone artifacts; they are embedded within dynamic constellations of human, organizational, and environmental subsystems whose interactions shape outcomes across micro, meso, and macro levels. This keynote examines how evolving sociotechnical systems (STS) transform—and are transformed by—AI through processes of coadaptation, shifting boundaries, and increasingly complex feedback loops. At the micro-level, AI alters cognition, trust calibration, and distributed situational awareness, reshaping how individuals perceive affordances and maintain meaningful human control. At the meso-level, AI mediates coordination within teams and organizations, amplifying both collaborative potential and vulnerabilities tied to bias, group dynamics, and structural opacity. At the macro-level, national innovation ecosystems, regulatory regimes, and global infrastructures interact with AI in ways that produce profound societal externalities and long-term system drift. Together, these multilevel processes reveal that the future of AI depends not on optimization alone, but on resilience, participatory governance, and the responsible stewardship of systems whose boundaries are increasingly permeable and whose evolution is continuous. This keynote proposes pathways for aligning AI with human flourishing amid deep uncertainty.
Biography
Katina Michael is the inaugural program director of the MBA (Technology and Digital Strategy) at the University of Sydney Business School. She is professor of Strategy, Innovation and Technology. She connects technical, policy, and public audiences, raising awareness of sociotechnical challenges and how to address them through human-centered systems design. Katina has advised governments and industry worldwide on responsible innovation. Her research helps guide professionals through the complex impacts of AI, automation, and digital transformation.
Conference Theme
Adding 'Superpowers' to Systems Engineering
Discover how integrating Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering into Systems Engineering enhances system design, management, and optimisation. The conference showcases advances in system modelling, automation of tasks, test & evaluation, and agile practices, driving the more efficient and resilient delivery of safe, secure, and sustainable systems within tighter timeframes. SETE is the premier conference for the Systems Engineering Society of Australia (SESA) and the Southern Cross Chapter of the International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA), extending in 2026 to include Simulation Australasia (SimAust) as a collaborative partner. SETE is a transdisciplinary forum for participants to extend networks, share current and future best practices in the engineering of complex capabilities, and learn from leading practitioners and academics across practices and domains/industry sectors.
Citation: Katina Michael, 28 April 2026, “AI, Humans, and Evolving Sociotechnical Systems”, Systems Engineering | Test and Evaluation (SETE26), Hilton, Sydney, https://clems.eventsair.com/sete26/