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; To appear in 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)

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 (To appear in 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; the social VR research was led by Ryo Ohara from the Cyber Interface Lab at the University of Tokyo)

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; To appear in CHI'25)

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