Stanford and German Institute Launch Human-Centered AI Research Program

New collaboration bridges AI and human-computer interaction: Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) and Germany’s Hasso Plattner Institut (HPI) launch a joint research program focusing on the human aspects of artificial intelligence.

Program structure and goals: The Program on Artificial Intelligence and Human Computer Interaction aims to foster breakthroughs by combining diverse perspectives and expertise from both institutions.

• The initiative pairs students and faculty from HAI and HPI to work on five core research areas: explainability, social computing system design, AI in fabrication, AI-assisted communication, and privacy-preserving AI smart tools.
• The program includes active exchanges between PhD students, co-supervision, and regular interactions to bring new perspectives to research problems.
• Professor James Landay from Stanford HAI emphasizes the program’s focus on human-centered AI systems, addressing the often-overlooked human interaction aspect of smart systems.

Foundational research projects: Two primary research themes form the backbone of the collaboration, addressing critical challenges in AI development and deployment.

• The first project, led by HPI’s Ralf Herbrich and HAI’s James Landay, aims to develop objective, machine-optimizable criteria for making AI predictions and decisions more understandable to humans.
• The second project, helmed by Stanford’s Michael Bernstein and HPI’s Ralf Herbrich, explores challenges in social computing systems, including quality assessment, non-human participant identification, and designing algorithms that balance various values and objectives.

Applied research initiatives: Three applied research projects showcase the program’s practical focus on leveraging AI for real-world applications.

• AI-Assisted Fabrication Tools: Led by HPI’s Patrick Baudisch and Stanford’s Maneesh Agrawala, this project aims to use AI to streamline the creation of personalized physical objects using tools like 3D printers and laser cutters.
• AI-Assisted Human-Human Interaction: A team led by HPI’s Gerard de Melo and Stanford’s Monica Lam and James Landay is developing socially intelligent virtual assistants for applications in mental health and education.
• AI-Assisted Privacy-Preserving Smart Spaces: Ralf Herbrich and James Landay are spearheading efforts to create intelligent sensing systems for homes, offices, and health spaces that maintain privacy and user trust.

Student experiences and opportunities: The program offers unique experiences for participating students, fostering international collaboration and interdisciplinary research.

• Stanford PhD student Lindsay Popowski is spending the summer at Universität Potsdam, working on experimental projects with HPI students and professors in social computing.
• Matthew Joerke, another Stanford PhD candidate, is exploring LLM-based health coaching for motivating physical activity as part of the AI-Assisted Human-Human Interaction project.
• These exchanges provide students with opportunities to live abroad, interact with researchers outside their usual fields, and gain fresh perspectives on their work.

Future outlook and implications: The collaboration between HAI and HPI represents a significant step towards more human-centered AI development and application.

• The program’s emphasis on bringing together experts in both AI and human-computer interaction could lead to more user-friendly and ethically-sound AI systems.
• Annual workshops and community-building events are planned to foster deeper connections and collaborative opportunities across all project areas.
• As AI continues to play an increasingly important role in various aspects of human life, this initiative may serve as a model for future interdisciplinary and international collaborations in the field.