The 2nd Search Futures Workshop

The field of Information Retrieval (IR) is undergoing a profound transformation, spurred by the continual evolution and breakthroughs in the realm of artificial intelligence and the broader changing research landscape. This reformation period finds our field and community in a state of introspection, as we contemplate and reevaluate our role and significance within the broader context of computing and information sciences. This juncture in our journey serves as an opportune moment to convene and engage in a deep and purposeful dialogue concerning the future trajectory of our field. We must collectively confront the myriad challenges and potential threats that loom on the horizon, all while embracing the newfound opportunities and bold research inquiries that emerge as we embark on a re-imagined quest for the next generation “memex” machine.

Workshop Objectives

The purpose of this workshop is to serve as a dedicated platform for the IR community to candidly express and deliberate upon the issues that weigh on our collective conscience. It is a forum where we can voice our concerns and brainstorm and present innovative proposals aimed at fortifying and enriching our field and the community that sustains it.

As we stand at the intersection of technological innovation and scholarly introspection, we find ourselves confronted with a multitude of pertinent questions. How can we harness the power of AI to enhance the effectiveness of information retrieval? As generative LLMs can put their confabulations onto the Web at superhuman speed, can the principles and concepts of IR protect us when we search? What safeguards do we need to put in place to protect the integrity and privacy of the data we handle? How can we ensure that the fruits of our research are accessible and beneficial to all members of society? Can the principles of provenance-tracking be adapted to tell us whether a human or an LLM wrote the crucial phrases in a curated answer? These are just a few examples of the pressing issues we face as we navigate this dynamic, new IR landscape.

The Second Search Futures Workshop aims to provide a much-needed forum for the IR community to continue discussing emerging challenges to the field and community. Our goals are to:

Continue our workshop series for open conversations about possible Search Futures,
Provide a forum at ECIR to discuss the pressing and emerging issues our field faces, and,
Produce a report detailing the initial outcomes of this second workshop on Search Futures.
Continue this ambitious series for Search Future workshops at subsequent IR conferences to include further and wider perspectives.

Call for Speakers

With advances in AI, it is claimed that the results of search across all of digitized knowledge can be digested, summarized, and focused for any inquirer. If this is true, has the problem that IR set out to address now been solved? Is there no need for improvements in search or recommendation – the systems will tell us what ought to want to know. This workshop asks: is there a place for the guiding principles of IR, in this brave new world? What are the new questions, and can we find a path to answers, by extending the ideas that have brought us here? Do we need new ideas altogether? We are looking for speakers to present their views and positions about the future of search.

Topics of interest may include, but are not limited to:

IR and related fields
- What the field of IR is tackling, should be tackling, is not tackling, …, and is such research is even important?
- What is IR any more in the context of recommender systems, NLP, ML, AI, etc.?
- What are the core questions we are answering? Are they worth answering?
IR in the age of generative AI
- How generative AI is changing the nature and relevance of search?
- How can we distinguish originals from derivatives, real from fake, etc.?
- When everything can be generated, what is a document? What are we retrieving?
IR and community
- How can we build and grow the IR community?
- How can we support newer community members?
- Is a bigger, more diverse community better? How can we evaluate ourselves?
- What should the scope and remit of IR conferences and journals be?
IR and the business
- What are the new economics of IR?
- How does conversational search change current business models?
- How do traditional media and content-based models fit into the emerging landscape?
- Can IR further optimize workplace productivity?
IR ethics, trust and responsibility
- What is the duty / responsible of an IR system?
- If I want to see more, should the system give it to me?
- How can we trust IR systems if they make up everything?
- How environmentally responsible are the IR systems we are making?
IR and people, users, consumers, creators,..
- Are creators still needed in the age of generative AI?
- Is IR helping overcome the digital divide?
- IsIRaddressingthedisparityininformationaccess,especiallyinmarginalized communities?
- Should IR systems curate information for users to avoid information overload?
- What is the future of results presentation?
- How can we develop IR systems integrated with IoT?
- How do information systems influence user’s emotions?
Emerging technologies and trends
- How can IR systems leverage blockchain technology for data integrity and transparency?
- What impact might quantum computing have on the future of IR?

If you are interested in presenting your views, submit an abstract only (approx. one page / up to 600 words along with any links to references) directly into our EasyChair Link. The abstract will be evaluated through a single-blind process.

Adam Roegiest, VP of Research and Technology at Zuva

Ian Soboroff, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Johanne Trippas, RMIT University

Zhaochun Ren, Leiden University

The 2nd Search Futures Workshop