SIG AI at AMCIS 2026
Track on Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Applications
Track Chairs:
Track Description:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems are central to what AMCIS 2026 calls “The Next Transformation.” These technologies are reshaping industries, redefining work, and influencing daily life. Their convergence with digital platforms, automation, and data-driven innovation creates new opportunities while raising urgent ethical, social, and regulatory challenges.
This track welcomes research on applications of machine learning and (generative) AI across domains (e.g., healthcare, finance, education, public services), the role of conversational agents, digital humans, and autonomous systems, as well as socio-economic, cultural, and organizational implications. We invite diverse methods to explore both potential and risks, advancing knowledge on how AI can drive responsible, equitable, and sustainable transformation.
Minitracks:
AI, Emotions, Empathy, and Mental Health
AI-enabled technologies have been permeating human lives and societies at a growing rate over the last three decades. They started at the mechanical task levels (e.g., manufacturing robots) and slowly made their way into analytical tasks (e.g., personal assistants, traders, schedulers, etc.). However, these technologies are still finding their way into the realm of human emotion and empathy. This next wave (known under various banners, including feeling AI, empathic AI, emotional AI, and empathetic AI) is expected to be the next frontier in AI development and deployment. Additionally, the role of emotions and empathy in human-technology interaction is a growing research area within the IS discipline. Accordingly, this forward-looking mini-track welcomes all kinds of theoretical and empirical research at the intersection of human emotions, empathy, mental health and AI.
- Reza Vaezi, Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, svaezi@kennesaw.edu
- Maryam Ghasemaghaei, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, ghasemm@mcmaster.ca
- Mohsen Jozani, Management Information Systems, San Diego State University, Sand Diego, California, United States, mjozani@sdsu.edu
Algorithmic Deception and Digital Distrust: Information Integrity in AI-Mediated Social Systems
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly AI agents and Generative AI (GenAI), fundamentally alters the creation and dissemination of online information. This transition exposes information to heightened risks of misinformation and disinformation. Consequently, this mini-track investigates the technical, behavioral, and social dimensions crucial for maintaining information integrity across digital platforms.
- Kunal Rao, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India, kunalrao9c@gmail.com
- Anu Rao, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur, India Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur, India, anrao2014@gmail.com
- Dr. Laura Watkowski, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany, laura.watkowski@uni-bayreuth.de
- Dr. Gaurav Dixit, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India, gaurav.dixit@ms.iitr.ac.in Mehta. Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India, gaurav.dixit@mfs.iitr.ac.in
Generative AI in Education, Research, and Society
Generative AI (GAI) represents a pivotal force in “The Next Transformation,” fundamentally reshaping education, research practices, and societal structures. This mini track explores the multifaceted applications and implications of GAI across these interconnected domains. We examine how GAI is revolutionizing personalized learning, transforming research methodologies, and influencing broader societal dynamics. The track welcomes research on GAI’s role in creating adaptive educational systems, enhancing research productivity, addressing digital equity, and navigating ethical challenges. We seek papers that investigate the convergence of GAI with existing digital platforms, its impact on workforce development, and its potential for driving responsible innovation. Through diverse research perspectives—from empirical studies to critical analyses—this mini track aims to advance understanding of how GAI can contribute to equitable, sustainable, and transformative change across education, research, and society.
- Yun Wan, University of Houston – Downtown, Houston, Texas, United States, wany@uhd.edu
- Xiwei Wang, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois, United States, x-wang9@neiu.edu
- Wei Wei, University of Houston – Downtown, Houston, Texas, United States, weiw@uhd.edu
AI-Powered Digital Humans: Impacts, Challenges, and Ecosystem
The rapid evolution of AI has transformed the concept of digital humans from simple anthropomorphic and conversational interfaces into highly sophisticated, autonomous entities mimicking human cognition, behavior, and appearance. The latest advancements in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and human-like AI collaborators have accelerated this transformation, enabling digital humans to act as adaptive, emotionally responsive, and context-aware participants. These AI-powered digital humans now demonstrate not only naturalistic speech and gestures but also the ability to assist with dynamic decision-making, empathy simulation, and multimodal interaction. Their human-like presence fundamentally changes how people interact with technology, how organizations provide services, and how societies experience digital coexistence.
This mini-track invites research that explores the individual, technological, organizational, and social dimensions of next-generation AI-powered digital humans. We also encourage submissions that theorize the emergence of AI agents, tracing the evolution from conversational agents to fully autonomous digital humans and examining their implications for socio-technical ecosystems.
- One-Ki Daniel Lee, Information Systems, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmomd, Virginia, United States, leeo@vcu.edu
- Soo Il Shin, Information Systems and Security, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, sshin12@kennesaw.edu
- Dr. Jin Sik Kim, Management Science & Information Systems, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, jinsik.kim@umb.edu
- Dr. Haejung Yun, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of, yunhj@ewha.ac.kr