News Story

KMi takes centre stage at landmark Milton Keynes event

Wednesday 3 Dec 2025

On 28 November 2025, Unity Place hosted the signing of the Milton Keynes Civic University Agreement, a milestone in fostering collaboration for inclusive growth and innovation at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. The event brought together anchor partners including The Open University, Cranfield University, and Milton Keynes College, alongside other signatory organisations, such as Santander, East West Rail, and MK City Council.

The ceremony featured speeches from the leaders of these organizations, followed by the formal signing of the agreement, which was accompanied by a musical performance by the Walton Quartet. This agreement strengthens a powerful alliance committed to aligning with local priorities, driving economic development, and enhancing opportunities for the city and its people.

Earlier in the day, two inspiring AI-focused events set the tone for the event. The main event was the Responsible AI and Automation Showcase co-chaired by Prof. Mark Brandon MBE, the OU’s PVC for Research and Innovation and Prof. Lynette Ryals OBE, Deputy-Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University and Dean of the Cranfield School of Management.

At this event, KMi’s Prof. Enrico Motta gave a talk on Sensemaking Robots, which described the work he is doing in the context of the UKRI-funded Resilient Enterprise project, in collaboration with a local start-up, SwiftRobotics. The goal of this project is to deploy AI and Robotic technologies in hospitals and care homes to improve efficiency, patient safety, and care quality. In particular, this project builds on earlier research carried out in KMi, centred on developing a robot, called HanS, which is able to operate in a work environment and detect violations to health and safety rules. To this purpose, HanS augmented a state of the art AI vision component with innovative reasoners based on theories of human cognition and common sense reasoning. This award-winning work is now being adapted to the requirements associated with patient safety, e.g., in the context of fall detection and prevention.

A second KMi talk, entitled Personal Meta-Cognition and Creativity Playgrounds: The Future of Adult Learning in the Age of AI and Automation, was given by Prof. John Domingue. In his presentation, Prof Domingue envisioned learning environments where meta-cognitive skills and creativity are embedded. Building on Seymour Papert’s Constructionist learning theories, he advocated for “creativity playgrounds” where learners interact with AI agents to innovate and self-regulate, empowering adults to thrive in continuous, personalised learning ecosystems.

Prof. John Domingue also gave the opening talk at a satellite event – Robotics and Autonomous Systems in the Public Realm: Policy Challenges and Opportunities for the UK, which was jointly chaired by Prof. Matthew Cook from The Open University and Professor Aidan While from the University of Sheffield. Prof Domingue’s talk was entitled Towards a Just Society 5.0 in the Age of Autonomous Agents, in which he outlined an evolution towards Society 5.0, where robotics and autonomous AI systems shape public life. His talk highlighted agentic AI technologies like ChatGPT Atlas and Sima2, their potential for autonomous decision-making, and the ethical frameworks needed to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability. OECD AI principles and social justice approaches underscored the importance of inclusive growth and responsible AI governance.