So far, human-machine encounters have primarily been tested and monitored in controlled laboratory settings. However, the first robots that are used in care, service and education are already being sold commercially. The contributors grapple with methodological challenges in investigating communicative AI systems in (inter-)action. They investigate how these studies can be composed and what kinds of insights such research can provide. With this, the anthology brings together contributions from a growing community of researchers who are committed to exploring communicative AI 'in (inter-)action' by using and adapting qualitative (and mostly ethnographic) methods.