In this line of research, we focus on designing intelligent technologies (i.e., AIs) and investigating their impact on supporting human higher-order thinking, including creativity, critical thinking, and metacognition.

We explore and design various social characteristics or interaction strategies of the intelligent artifacts to maximize their strength and minimize their negative impacts on human higher-order thinking. The goal is to enable humans to grow with AI but not be replaced by AI.

Example projects:

• Understanding the varying timings of LLM usage in AI-assisted ideation (ongoing research led by Peinuan Qin from AI4SG Lab at the National University of Singapore; CHI'25)

• Understanding the impact of opinionated-chatbot on subsequent interpersonal online discussion (ongoing research led by Tianqi Song from AI4SG Lab at the National University of Singapore)

• Investigating how generative AI tools influence visual style development for concept and visual artists (ongoing research led by WenFan Wang at National Taiwan University)  

Keywords: Human-AI collaboration, AI-assisted interaction, creativity

In this line of research, we focus on understanding and supporting meaningful remote communication (e.g., text-based communication, videoconferencing) for better workplace, intercultural, cross-generational, or intimate relationships. 

We explore and design augmented social cues by using technologies (i.e., AIs) to mediate interpersonal communication. This project aims to facilitate meaningful social interaction for diverse communication purposes.

Example projects:

• Understanding the impact of technical issues on impression formation in video conferencing (CSCW’24)

• Supporting video conferencing using a collective behavior-driven avatar (CSCW’24)

• Understanding and supporting peer review using AI-reframed positive summary (CHI'25)

• Developing and evaluating a Meaningful Social Interaction Scale (ongoing research)

• Designing AI-reframed messages for conflict management in difficult conversations (ongoing research)

• Supporting affective grounding using augmented body language in text-based communication and social VR (ongoing research led by Ryo Ohara from the Cyber Interface Lab at the University of Tokyo)

• Understanding and supporting reflection for communication failure among cross-cultural friends using AI-generated digests (Led by Seraphina Yong from GroupLens at the University of Minnesota; CSCW'25) 

• Understanding and supporting online job interviews over video conferencing for people who stutter (ongoing research led by Yingting Chen from the University of Tsukuba and Shaomei Wu from AImpower.org) 

• Exploring and supporting the hidden relational effort for relationship building in online dating (ongoing research with Tina Yuan from National Taiwan University)

Keywords: Computer-mediated communication, AI-mediated communication, inter-group communication, social cues

In this line of research, we focus on revisiting social psychology theories (e.g., social learning, social validation, social facilitation, social inhibition, etc) to examine how individuals’ perceptions and behavior change in mixed human-AI groups.

We study how an individual or a small group of people interact with one another in the presence of multi-agents in various communication contexts (e.g., having conflict, making hard decisions, disclosing vulnerable moments). The goal of this project is twofold: (1) revisit and reflect the generalizability of social psychology theories from social interaction to human-social AI interaction; (2) design multi-agents for shaping positive social behavior. 

Example projects:

• Understanding the impact of AI-generated danmaku on presenters’ and audience’ engagement in online presentations (ongoing research with Shigeo Yoshida from OMRON SINIC X Corporation, Japan)

• Designing multi-agents for supporting conflict management in cross-cultural communication (ongoing research)

• Designing multi-agents for supporting female users to cope with PMS (ongoing research led by Shixian Geng from IISLab at the University of Tokyo; CHI'25)

• Understanding and supporting equal gender participation in video conferencing with multi-agents (ongoing research with Wen Duan from Clemson University)

Keywords: Social AI, mixed human-AI groups, social psychology, multi-agents