The Trust in Moral Machines lab hosted a writing retreat from June 26-29th, 2026
This June, the Trust in Moral Machines lab joined forces with a brilliant group of AI researchers from Europe and North America for a writing retreat ahead of the 2026 European Association of Social Psychology (EASP) General Meeting. The retreat took place in the beautiful Alsatian village of Griesheim-près-Molsheim, just outside of Strasbourg, and the group spent 3 nights in idyllic countryside surrounded by the beloved living emblem of the Alsace region: the majestic (and loud!) white stork.
Unfortunately, due to the record-breaking European heatwave, time spent outdoors during daylight hours was minimal, and most members of the group could generally be found sitting inside with a fan as close to their face as possible. Luckily, the company was so good that even the forced sequestration inside the AirBNB failed to dampen spirits, and many friendships and research collaborations across institutions were formed.
From the Trust in Moral Machines Lab at the University of Kent, PI Jim Everett joined along with post-doc Jocelyn Chalmers, PhD students Pierce Veitch and Tim-Dorian Knöchel, and project officer Monique Petit, whose organisational skills ensured the retreat ran as smoothly as it possible could. From Oxford University came Kathryn Francis, Joanna Demaree-Cotton, and Madeline “Gracie” Reinecke, while Daryl Cameron, Josh Wenger, and Paige Amormino made the overseas journey from the Pennsylvania State University. Rounding out the team were Reem Ayad from the University of Toronto; Francisco Cruz from the University of Lisbon, and Laura Charbit from Université Paris Cité.
Discussions at the retreat were buzzing with exciting AI-related research ideas, and the seeds were sown for an impressive number of new projects. These included a grant application, a theoretical piece about AI as a public good, a project on strategic perceptions of moral patiency in AI, a conceptual pitch paper about AI effort and empathy, a project about moral advice in the context of healthcare, and several more, most of which involve cross-lab (and cross-national) collaborations. Bringing together this group of like-minded researchers resulted in an innovative atmosphere that left everyone excited about their new research directions.
It wasn’t all work, however, and after a long day of writing the group of researchers relaxed by hanging out on the deck, playing games, and enjoying delicious local food together. All in all, this writing retreat was a huge success, and it wouldn’t have been possible without our tireless organisers Jim Everett and Monique Petit (picture here in their new Penn State caps, courtesy of Paige!).