Professor Sam Yam Explores Human. AI Interaction in Thought Leadership Research Seminar

On December 1, 2025, Hitotsubashi ICS hosted a research seminar as part of its Thought Leadership Research Seminar Series, welcoming Professor Sam Yam of the NUS Business School, National University of Singapore. The seminar was held at the Hitotsubashi ICS and brought together faculty members, students, and researchers interested in the future of work, artificial intelligence, and organizational behavior.

Professor Yam is a scholar in the Department of Management & Organisation at NUS Business School, with research spanning social psychology, organizational behavior, and human–technology interaction. His talk, titled “Future of Work: Insights from Social Psychology and Organizational Behavior,” addressed a timely and complex question: how humans perceive and experience interactions with robots and AI in the workplace.

In his presentation, Professor Yam synthesized findings from his past and ongoing research to show that people’s responses to AI and robotic technologies depend less on the technologies themselves and more on the contexts in which they are deployed. He explained that individuals tend to favor technologies that serve them, while feeling discomfort or resistance toward systems that work alongside them, particularly in sacred or moral domains such as religion and medicine.

Professor Yam also introduced the concept of a human–AI interaction paradox. While machines can commit wrongdoing and are sometimes punished by humans, he argued, they cannot meaningfully receive punishment in a moral sense. As a result, interactions involving AI can leave individuals with an unresolved sense of justice, highlighting fundamental psychological limits in how humans relate to intelligent machines.

The seminar concluded with an active Q&A session, during which participants engaged Professor Yam in discussion about the implications of his research for organizational design, leadership, and the evolving role of AI in professional settings. Following the seminar, a limited number of participants also took part in optional one-on-one meetings with Professor Yam, further deepening academic exchange.

Through the Thought Leadership Research Seminar Series, Hitotsubashi ICS continues to provide a forum for cutting-edge research that bridges psychology, management, and emerging technologies, contributing to a deeper understanding of contemporary organizational challenges.