The Human-Technology Podcast

What was the real story behind Car. HMI 2026 in Berlin? It wasn't bigger displays, smarter voice assistants, or even AI itself. Instead, one idea connected almost every discussion: orchestration. In this episode I share my key takeaways from the world's leading Automotive HMI conference. Discover why the cockpit is becoming just one touchpoint in a much larger digital ecosystem, how AI is evolving...

Chinese carmakers are rapidly expanding into Europe, bringing with them a new generation of highly digital, connected, and AI-powered vehicle interfaces. But will the HMIs that delight drivers in Shanghai create the same experience in Berlin, Paris, or Milan? In this episode, we explore the myth of the universal user, examine why Chinese and European drivers often have very different expectations...

For decades, automotive HMIs lived inside the vehicle. Today, they extend across smartphones, cloud services, wearables, external displays, and AI-powered assistants. The car is no longer a standalone product, it is becoming part of a larger digital ecosystem. In this episode, I explore the rise of Liquid HMIs, the shift from vehicle interfaces to connected HMI ecosystems, and the growing importan...

In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, I talk about one of the most important, and most misunderstood, topics in modern automotive HMI development: multimodality. Touch, speech, gestures, haptics, gaze control, AI assistants, modern vehicles are rapidly turning into highly complex multimodal systems. But does adding more interaction channels automatically create better user experiences?...

Automotive HMI is hitting a breaking point. For decades, it was simple: more features, more tech, more screens. That playbook no longer works. Automation turns cars into actors. AI turns interfaces into interaction partners. China introduces entirely different HMI philosophies. And beneath the surface? Even bigger shifts: software-defined vehicles, peak display, multimodal interaction, and HMI eco...

For years, digital was treated as the inevitable future: more screens, more software, more touch, more automation. But a counter-movement is emerging. From vinyl and paper to physical controls and tangible interaction, people are rediscovering the value of analog experiences. In this episode of the Mensch-Technik Podcast, I analyze why this is not nostalgia, but a deeply human correction. I look a...

Technology is no longer just a tool. It is moving closer, into our bodies, our decisions, our identity. In this episode, we explore a fundamental shift: the blurring boundary between human and machine, and the consequences that come with it. At the center lies a growing tension between two worldviews. Humanism places dignity, autonomy, and the imperfect human at the core. Transhumanism challenges...

In many companies, usability is still treated as a “nice to have.” First comes the technology. Then the features. Then the marketing. And somewhere at the very end someone asks the question: Is this actually usable? Yet this is exactly where one of the biggest economic misconceptions in technology development lies. Because usability does not cost money, poor usability costs money. A lot of money....

In this episode, I reflect on four open questions that emerged during my time in Las Vegas. Where is the automotive industry heading as vehicles become software-defined platforms? What role will CES play for the mobility industry in the future? How are automotive HMIs evolving as systems become more intelligent and autonomous? And do robots truly have a meaningful role to play in our homes and wor...

This is the third episode of the CES 2026 series. If you haven’t listened to the previous two episodes yet, make sure to start there first. In this episode, we leave the automotive halls and explore the most important non-automotive technology trends that shaped CES 2026: - The Revenge of the Analog - Humanoid Robots and AI - Smart Glasses as a new HMI layer - Household appliances as smart-home co...

This is Part 2 of my CES 2026 series and we’re going all-in on Automotive. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode covering the show overall, start there first. At CES 2026, one message became unmistakable: the future of mobility is no longer shaped only by car companies. Software, AI, sensing, and cross-industry innovation are redefining what a vehicle is and how we interact with it. In th...

CES 2026 is officially over… but the real work starts now: making sense of what happened in Las Vegas. In this first episode of a four-part series, I step back from the noise, the miles, and the caffeine to share a structured, no-hype reflection on the show, especially through an automotive, mobility, HMI, and AI lens. In this episode, you’ll hear: - Who was there and who wasn’t: Why Big Tech domi...

Software Defined Vehicles have evolved far beyond a technical buzzword, they represent a cultural transformation reshaping the automotive industry at its core. Today’s vehicles are no longer static machines but dynamic digital ecosystems: always connected, always updateable, and always in flux. But amid the promise of centralized architectures, OTA updates, AI-driven functions, and new business mo...

In this episode, we take a deep look into the future of automotive Human-Machine Interaction. Five years after launching the Human–Technology Podcast, now ranked among Germany’s top technology podcasts and one of the leading non-English UX/UI podcasts worldwide, I explore the three core topics that will define the next decade of HMI. We examine how automation fundamentally changes the relationship...

It’s one of the great paradoxes of our time: the more we optimize, the less we truly gain. We invent efficient machines and use them more. We save time, only to fill it with more work. We consume smarter, yet end up consuming more. In this episode of The Human-Technology Podcast I explore the rebound effect, the hidden mechanism that quietly undermines our progress. From fuel-efficient cars that b...

Luxury used to be visible: expensive cars, rare watches, golden skylines. Possession meant status; exclusivity was the goal. Today, that picture has changed. Luxury is no longer loud, shiny, or ostentatious, it has become quiet, minimal, and profoundly human. In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, we'll explore the new language of luxury: intuition instead of instruction, reduction inste...

When most people talk about Artificial Intelligence, they think of ChatGPT, spectacular image generators, or clever smartphone assistants. But AI has long since moved beyond the headlines. It already manages driver assistance systems, controls energy flows in electric drivetrains, and adapts infotainment to our personal habits, quietly, efficiently, and often unnoticed. In this episode of the Huma...

IAA MOBILITY 2025 in Munich showed once again that it is no longer just a car show, it has become Europe’s leading platform for mobility and technology. With more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries and over half a million visitors, the event highlighted global trends and pressing questions shaping the industry. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of IAA 2025 and explore the five key t...

I haven’t had a vacation yet, but I’ve been working intensely: on my next book, on exciting projects and with my appointment as Honorary Professor at FH Aachen, I’ve also experienced a true highlight. In this episode, everything revolves around IFA 2025 in Berlin. I was on site, gathered impressions, and will put into perspective what really mattered: from smart glasses and rings as new HMIs, to r...

In our final episode before the summer break, we explore the technological frontiers where humans and machines no longer just interact—but intertwine. Three transformative technologies are changing everything: - Brain-Computer Interfaces, decoding thought itself - Artificial Organs and AI Prosthetics, where biology meets machine - Autonomous Systems: decision-makers without an operator Each promis...

In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, I share insights from a World Café session I hosted on the future of In-Cabin Sensing. What began as a simple question "What’s happening inside the vehicle?" opened the door to a far-reaching discussion about technology, trust, regulation, and human experience. We explored three guiding questions: - What exactly is In-Cabin Sensing? - What are the k...

In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, I take a comprehensive look at current developments and fundamental trends in the field of Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) in vehicles. It’s not just about technological progress — it’s also about a deeper question: How is our relationship with technology evolving, and what does that mean for the design of the interfaces between humans and machines?...

"I miss my pre-Internet brain." This quote by American author Virginia Heffernan hits at the very core of our digital existence. In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, I explore why modern technologies overwhelm us mentally – and how this connects to our evolutionary history. What happens when a Stone Age brain meets high-frequency interfaces? When tools turn into environments? And what...

In this episode of the Human-Technology Podcast, I revisit one of my most successful LinkedIn posts, a contribution on shared mobility that generated almost ten times more views and comments than my usual posts. The post put forward a bold thesis: The cities of the future have no room for privately owned cars. But what’s really behind that statement? In this episode, I take the time to explore the...

In this very personal episode, I’m stepping away from the usual path of technology, trends, and interfaces to share my own story for a change. Because: beyond HMI///// is celebrating its anniversary! Ten years of self-employment. Ten years of freedom, responsibility, crises, and opportunities. And a very personal approach to connecting humans and technology. I talk about: - Why I left the safety o...