Research

Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have an enormous impact on our society, which is expected to become even larger in coming years. To guarantee that these developments influence humankind in a positive manner, a human-oriented, ‘social’ focus on AI is crucial. Modern AI systems should not only make decisions, but should also be able to interact and collaborate with human beings. To make optimal use of such systems, there is a strong need for advanced technology, but also for a better understanding about the effects of technology on human behavior. This requires multi-disciplinary research in the intersection of Computer Science and the Social Sciences.

In his research, Tibor Bosse combines insights from these disciplines in order to design, implement and evaluate ‘Social AI’ systems, i.e. intelligent computer systems that have the ability to engage in natural social interactions with human beings. Such systems include, among others, social robots, virtual agents and chatbots. From a technical perspective, Bosse develops new algorithms to endow social AI systems with more human-like behaviour (e.g., using techniques such as emotion recognition and natural language processing). From a social perspective, he studies the psychological effects of interacting with social AI systems on people’s perceptions and behavior. Finally, from an applied perspective, he is interested in the use of social AI systems for various practical purposes, including social skills training and behavior change.