Robotics and the Future of Human Touch

From vacuuming to healthcare, robots are quietly infiltrating our lives. They are increasingly taking over traditionally female roles, such as cleaning and caregiving, thus potentially reinforcing existing gender roles. Additionally, the rise of automation is disproportionately affecting low-skilled jobs, leading to concerns about job displacement and economic inequality. What does this mean for the future of work and human connection? Are robots stealing our jobs and our humanity? As AI and robotics advance, how will it impact our lives? Join us for a panel discussion on the robotics and the future of human touch.

This event is organized by the EU Delegation to the United States in collaboration with German Haus at SXSW. Visit our website: www.euinaustin.org.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

• 2:15pm: Doors open
• 2:30am - 3:30pm: Panel discussion with Isabelle Blanchot (Chief Revenue Officer, Enchanted Tools), Sten Saluveer (Media, Technology and Policy Futurist), moderated by Deniz Houston (Digital Policy Officer, EU Delegation to the U.S.)

Speakers:

Isabelle Blanchot, Chief Revenue Officer, Enchanted Tools

Isabelle Blanchot is the Chief Revenue Officer at Enchanted Tools, a French startup developing a socio-logistical robot designed to work alongside staff in public-facing environments and take on repetitive tasks. With 25 years of experience as a consultant helping large organizations adopt new technologies, she joined Enchanted Tools to push the boundaries of emerging technology, particularly in humanoid robotics. Isabelle is passionate about the transformative potential of robotics to enhance human experience in real-world environments such as senior living communities, hospitals, retail, airports, and offices. She is actively building strategic partnerships with early adopters to confirm how social robots positively impact people’s well-being.

Sten Saluveer, Media, Technology and Policy Futurist

Sten Saluveer is the Director of the Tallinn Digital Summit, an invitation-only format for political, technology, business and public sector leaders, hosted by the Prime Minister of Estonia, and the Head of Cannes Next innovation track & Strategic Advisor at the world's most prominent entertainment industry platform, the Marché du Film of the iconic Festival de Cannes.Sten's interdisciplinary work involves content/media, technology and policy domains including Artificial Intelligence, innovation and technological resilience, digital policy, as well as Asia-Europe dimensions. Sten is a PhD candidate at the University of Tokyo and holds a Master's Degree with Honors from the same school in Information, Society and Technology in Asia. He has previous academic backgrounds in Classical Music, Electronic Media and Communication Theory, Creative Industries Management, Asian Studies, and Digital Entrepreneurship.

Deniz Houston, Digital Policy Officer, EU Delegation to the U.S. (MODERATOR)

Deniz is the Digital Policy Officer for the Digital Economy team where she covers all digital topics including Artificial Intelligence, the Digital Service Act, Digital Markets Act, privacy, semiconductors, Trade and Technology Council. Prior to the delegation, Deniz was on the International Government Affairs Policy team at the Intel Corporation where she drafted company’s strategy to address the geopolitics of the semiconductor industry. She began her career in US Defence and Diplomacy where she helped advocate for US foreign policy priorities through public diplomacy programs, international mergers and acquisitions, military technology, and defence security cooperation initiatives. She received a master’s degree in European Public Policy from Johns Hopkins in Bologna, and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the College of Charleston. She speaks German, Turkish, and Russian and has lived in Germany, Turkey, Italy, and Russia.

Disclaimer:
Registration for the events does not guarantee participation; admission will be prioritized based on early arrival. We thus recommend arriving promptly.

Photo(s) taken during the event/meeting will be used in EU communication activities including social media.

This invitation was assembled in compliance with the European Union's GDPR. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Speakeasy, 412 Congress Avenue, Austin, United States