We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all members for your participation in and support of the Architectural Informatics Society. The Society is planning to hold Architectural Informatics Society WEEK 2026 at Kyoto University from March 17 to 18, 2026.
We are pleased to announce that, once again, we will be organizing the Round Table Sessions, which provide an opportunity for direct academic exchange among our members. We warmly encourage those who may be interested in proposing a session to consider submitting an application.
1. Overview
The Round Table Session is a new conference format designed to shift the focus of academic exchange from the traditional focus on research presentations to a focus on discussions on specific topics proposed by AIS members. Each session will consist of four panelists in principle, including the session organizer, who has a strong interest in the topic. The participants will have 60 minutes to discuss the topic prepared by the session organizer. We expect in-depth discussions and exchanges of opinions on topics suitable for the development and advancement of architectural informatics, and the theme of the year described below.
2. Theme of Round Table Session in 2026 “Agency and Autonomy”
Today, the agentization and autonomization of digital technologies, including AI, are rapidly advancing. Efforts are underway to achieve flexible and efficient execution of diverse tasks through agentization, as well as to realize more complex operations through autonomization, in which machines analyze procedures and make judgments. Agentization encourages us to treat technology not as a subordinate tool but as a collaborator, offering the possibility of transforming work processes into more cooperative and humane forms. At the same time, however, there is concern that it may diminish the sense of agency among human participants, creating situations in which people may end up being “used” by agents in much the same way they have been “used” by tools in the past.
Furthermore, in systems where situational judgment is delegated to machines, it becomes even more crucial to clarify human intentions and the underlying goals and visions in order to avoid unintended outcomes. The term “autonomy” originally implies not only following one’s own internal principles but also bearing responsibility for the consequences. In discussions of architectural autonomy, similar questions arise: Should architects be subordinate to external demands such as social, public, and economic considerations? Or should they adhere to their own disciplinary principles? And ultimately, for what—and to whom—are architects responsible?
For the 2026 Round Table Session, we adopt the theme “Agency and Autonomy” in light of these considerations. We hereby invite proposals for discussions addressing a wide range of topics—from the potential for better futures enabled by such technologies, to the challenges they inevitably entail, and further to the issues of human awareness and responsibility when engaging with these technologies.
Call for Session Organizer
We are now inviting applicants to serve as session organizers for this year’s Round Table Sessions. Session organizers are expected to propose a session topic as well as potential panelists who will join the discussion, and to lead the session. Eligibility for applying to organize a Round Table Session is limited to members of the Architectural Informatics Society, regardless of membership category (regular member, student member, or sponsoring member).
Members who wish to apply as session organizers should submit their application via the Google Form linked below by the stated deadline, including the information requested.
Please note that it is acceptable to apply even if you have not yet contacted the proposed panelist candidates at the time of submission. Panelists for accepted sessions will be asked to obtain full membership or provisional membership (registering an email address on the Society’s website and receiving a membership number without payment) by the date on which the program is finalized.
The proposed Round Table Sessions will be reviewed by the Architectural Informatics Society’s International Activities Committee based on the submitted documents, and applicants will be notified of the results.
Submission Google Form: https://forms.gle/q4XakBMe3DzoDAsEA
（Deadline: January 18, 2026）
- Session title (in both Japanese and English)
- Session organizer’s name, affiliation, membership type (Regular / Student / Sponsoring), and membership ID number
- Preferred venue format (Online only / On-site only / On-site if possible, otherwise online / Online if possible, otherwise on-site) *Please note that we may not be able to accommodate your preference. For venue-specific conditions, please refer to “Format and Structure of the Round Table Sessions” below.
- Language of the session (Japanese only / English only / Both Japanese and English)
- Overview of the session topic (Depending on the language(s) used: up to 500 Japanese characters and/or 200 English words)
- Proposed panelist candidates (including those not yet contacted): For the status of each candidate, please select one of the following: (A) Contacted and confirmed, (B) Contacted, awaiting response, (C) Planned to contact
- Reference publications (Primary authored works by the applicant; new or previously published, including internal/university publications, are acceptable)
4. Coordination of Session Content and Scheduling
For each accepted session, the session organizer will adjust the session content and selection of panelists in consultation with the representative(s) of the International Activities Committee. After the panelists have been finalized, session organizers will be asked to submit their preferred time slots. Based on these preferences and the overall schedule of the WEEK, the session format (on-site or online) and the final date and time will be determined.
For sessions held in an online format, if it is difficult to conduct the session live during the event period, a pre-recorded session may be prepared and streamed during the designated period.
Format and Structure of the Round Table Session
The 2026 Round Table Sessions will be held either on-site or via online streaming. On-site sessions will take place at Kyoto University on March 17 or 18. Online sessions will be streamed on YouTube between March 15 and 18.
On-site sessions, held in front of a live audience, will be recorded and released later as members-only content after the event period. Please note that on-site sessions will not be livestreamed; those who wish to attend in real time must come to the venue. While panelists may participate online for on-site sessions, the session organizer is required to be physically present at the venue. Session organizers and panelists who appear on-site for an on-site session must pay the participation fee for the Architectural Informatics Society WEEK. Panelists who join an on-site session remotely (online) do not need to pay the WEEK participation fee.
Online sessions will be livestreamed publicly on the Society’s YouTube channel, and the archive will remain publicly available for about one week, including during the WEEK period, after which it will become members-only content. Session organizers and panelists participating in online sessions are not required to pay the WEEK participation fee.
For both on-site and online formats, session organizers must be members of the Architectural Informatics Society. Panelists must obtain full or provisional membership by the date the program is finalized.
Applicants should select one of the following format preferences when applying, noting that preferences may not always be accommodated: On-site, 2) Online, 3) On-site if possible, otherwise online, 4) Online if possible, otherwise on-site.
Please also select one of the following session languages in advance: English, Japanese, or a combination of both.
The session organizer will serve as the moderator of the Round Table Session. The 60-minute session should follow the model structure provided below.
Session Schedule (in Japanese Standard Time)
On-site Sessions:
Tuesday March 17th, 9AM-6PM
Wednesday March 18th, 9AM-6PM
Online streaming:
Sunday March 15th, 9AM-9PM
Monday March 16th, 9AM-9PM
Tuesday March 17th, 9AM-9PM
Wednesday March 18th, 9AM-9PM
- Presentation by the organizer regarding the session theme: about 20 minutes
- Panelists’ presentation or responses and discussions: about 40 minutes
Within a week from the end of the session, session organizers are requested to submit a summary of the discussion (1000 characters or less in Japanese, 300 words or less in English) for publishing on our website.
6. schedule
– Open Call Period for Session Organizers:
December 8th, 2025 – January 18th, 2026
– Notification of acceptance of session themes:
Before the End of January, 2026
– Program finalization:
February 15th, 2026
– Round Table Sessions to be held:
March 15th – 18th, 2024
7. Online Voting and Awards
Each Round Table Session will be evaluated through online voting by the audience. The highest-rated session in both the on-site and online categories will be recognized by the Architectural Informatics Society WEEK Organizing Committee at the WEEK After Party on the evening of March 18.
8. Other
A defining feature of the Round Table Session program is that members are free to propose discussion topics. In fact, the Architectural Informatics Society does not yet have established definitions of its domains or a detailed taxonomy for classifying themes. We hope that active debate among members will help shape what kinds of topics should be discussed within the Society.
In the current landscape, it is often difficult to gather people who possess particular interests or expertise on specific topics—across disciplines, across organizations, and internationally. This is especially true in the emerging interdisciplinary field of architectural informatics, which strives to integrate architecture and information in new ways. Recognizing that such opportunities are rare, the Society has developed this program as a means to promote academic progress.
We hope to see valuable discussions from diverse perspectives—not only research-focused topics but also those related to practice, education, and more—featuring leading international scholars, early pioneers who have long paid attention to these issues, and practitioners with concrete real-world experience.
We also welcome proposals from student members, encouraging them to engage in lively discussions on their own research topics with highly specialized panelists.
9. FAQ
– Is it acceptable if the number of panelists, including the session organizer, is not exactly four?
Yes. The number of panelists does not have to be exactly four. However, please ensure appropriate time management so that each panelist can meaningfully participate in the discussion within the 60-minute session.
– May the session be shorter or longer than 60 minutes?
Please plan and conduct the session so that it is approximately 60 minutes in length.
– May we include a Q&A session with the audience or viewers?
Yes. For on-site sessions, you may take questions from the audience, and for online sessions, you may accept questions through the streaming chat on YouTube. However, in both cases, please plan and manage the session so that it fits within the 60-minute time frame, regardless of whether the number of questions is large or small.
– We cannot yet confirm the availability of some potential panelists, so we are unsure whether the session can be held on-site. Can we change our preferred format after submission?
Yes. After the session is accepted, you may discuss with the Society whether it should be held on-site or online. The format can be changed from the preference indicated at the time of application, and it will be adjusted to suit each session based on the overall schedule.
– If an online session cannot be live-streamed and must be pre-recorded, will the session organizer be responsible for recording the discussion with the panelists?
No. If pre-recording is necessary, a representative of the Architectural Informatics Society will set up a Zoom meeting for recording. The session organizer does not need to record it themselves. In consultation with the Society, please arrange a suitable date and time when the panelists can gather in advance, and conduct the session via Zoom. The recorded session will be streamed during the WEEK period.
– If a panelist becomes unable to participate after the panelists have been finalized, is it possible to replace them? Also, what is the final deadline for confirming panelists?
Yes. In such cases, it is possible to replace the panelist with another suitable candidate for the session topic. The final deadline is February 15, when the program must be finalized, but adjustments can be made depending on the circumstances.