This January I returned to Söllerhaus for the 2026 LMU Winterschool titled "Applied AI in HCI Research".
This workshop explored how applied AI is reshaping HCI research, from AI-supported paper writing and theory engagement to ethical and emotional entanglements in AI content creation.

While I learnt about how to apply AI to source grey literature, improve experimental design and rapidly prototype using AI, my main takeaway from the trip was separate from AI entirely.
My key takeaway from this winter school was the importance of meeting people in person and forming genuine connections. This was my second time attending the LMU Winterschool in Söllerhaus, and I was struck by how different my interactions felt this time around. The first time, I focused on the content and on meeting everyone for the first time, which meant most of my interactions stayed at a surface level. This time, I was able to build on those initial connections and genuinely got to know people, which made the experience feel vastly different. This difference didn't only impact the enjoyment of the event, but also improved the discussions had through the event.

Additionally, the winter school prompted me to reflect on how much effort we should invest in maintaining a social media presence versus focusing on research, and protecting our free time. While it's clearly important to engage with the research community online, when time is limited, how much should we allocate to our social media status?
Is good enough to focus solely on producing quality research? Although I believe that is overwhelmingly the most important part, this website stands as evidence that I don't agree in entirely.