05/20/2026: Still Human-Centered? Wearable Technology in the Age of AI

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

9 - 10 AM HST | 12 - 1 PM PT | 2 - 3 PM CT | 3 - 4 PM ET

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About the webinar:

Wearable and augmented systems increasingly incorporate AI to interpret context, prioritize information, and guide user behavior in real time. While these capabilities are often framed as advances in intelligence or automation, they fundamentally reshape how information is integrated, attended to, and acted upon by human users. Drawing on her research in cognitive engineering and human-centered system design, Dr. Smith will examine how AI-enabled wearable interfaces interact with human information processing in safety-relevant contexts. Dr. Smith argues that keeping wearable systems human-centered in the age of AI requires accounting for human perceptual and cognitive constraints, rather than treating AI as a standalone improvement.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this activity, the learner will be able to:

  • Explain how wearable technology has transformed HCI by moving interaction beyond the screen and into real-world contexts

  • Identify how AI-enabled adaptation redistributes, rather than eliminates, cognitive work, including the tradeoffs between reducing overload and introducing new demands through interruptions, expectation mismatches, and sensory channel costs

  • Evaluate why increasingly intelligent systems require increasingly precise understanding of human perception and cognition in order to remain genuinely human-centered

Speaker: Missie Smith, PhD

Missie Smith is currently an Assistant Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Auburn University, where she directs the Cognitive Engineering and Context (CEC) Lab. Her research lies at the intersection of engineering, design, and public policy, with applications to the safe use of augmented reality technologies in domains such as automotive, aviation, and consumer goods.

ACCREDITATION

The Center for Occupational and Environmental Health designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 Contact Hour. Participants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Certificates of Completion

Certificates of Completion will be available to webinar participants who are present for the complete, live webinar, and logged in with their registered email address. Call-in attendees are not eligible for certificates at this time - Please download the Zoom app to log in via email on your smartphone whenever possible.

In order to receive your Certificate of Completion, qualified learners must complete the post-webinar evaluation within 7 days of the webinar. A link to the evaluation will be emailed to qualified learners 24 hours after the webinar via no-reply@zoom.us. Qualified learners who submit their evaluation will receive a Certificate of Completion via email, and can also print/save the certificate from their browser after submitting their evaluation.

If you're not able to attend the live presentation, no problem! We record most presentations and will host them on our website provided we have permission to do so. Presentation recordings are not eligible for Certificates of Completion.

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Deep South Center for Occupational Health & Safety

About the Deep South Center for Occupational Health & Safety

The Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety (DSC ERC) is a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)–funded Education and Research Center serving Alabama and the surrounding southeastern region. The Center’s mission is to protect and advance the health, safety, and well-being of workers through interdisciplinary education, research, and outreach.

The DSC ERC supports graduate training in Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health Nursing, Safety and Ergonomics, and related fields, preparing the next generation of occupational health and safety professionals. Through research training, continuing education, and professional outreach, the Center addresses regional workforce needs and emerging occupational hazards.

In partnership with academic institutions, industry, labor, and community organizations, the Deep South Center translates evidence-based research into practice, strengthens the occupational health workforce pipeline, and promotes safer, healthier workplaces across the Southeast.

ACCESSIBILITY:

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) to fully participate in this event, please contact Will Bellamy at (510) 642-8365 or wbellamy@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail) with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.