Jo is a Senior Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction at the University of York, she is also the Research Lead for SAINTs (UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Safe AI Systems).
What is your role in SAINTS, and what does it involve?
As research lead for SAINTS, I am part of the core management team and involved in shaping the long-term vision and research priorities of the CDT. I will also be engaged in supporting research career development.
What is your role in SAINTS, and what does it involve?
As research lead for SAINTS, I am part of the core management team and involved in shaping the long-term vision and research priorities of the CDT. I will also be engaged in supporting research career development.
Tell us about your research interests. What do you find most interesting or enjoyable about your work?
My research interests focus on human-computer interaction, so I am very keen to explore how we can develop AI technologies from a user-centred perspective. I have also been engaged in games research, including the development and evaluation of serious games for contexts such as healthcare. In my research, I really enjoy working with people from different disciplines, while engaging with users allows me to gain a rich understanding of their needs and the wider factors that can influence their interactions with technology.
What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?
I am particularly proud of my PhD students who have now completed their doctoral studies. It is incredibly rewarding to see your students grow and develop into capable and confident researchers.
What’s next on the research horizon for you?
I am currently involved in the Shared CAIRE project, where we have been exploring the design of AI enabled decision support systems for healthcare. We have recently completed an evaluation study of prototypes with clinicians where we have been comparing different models of human-AI interaction. I am looking forward to supporting the analysis of the findings and writing these up for publication.
Can you share some interesting work that you read about recently?
I recently read the following paper “Does it do the same as we would? How trust in automated shipboard systems relates to seafarers’ professional identity” (Aalberg et al., 2024).
While I have not worked in the maritime sector, I found the insights around how trust was dependent on whether the systems acted according to professional standards (i.e. did it behave like a good seafarer would?) really interesting, and wondered how this might apply in other domains.
What are your thoughts on the future of AI?
The future of AI holds great promise, but also potential risk. To create systems that will be safe and of benefit to society, we need to consider autonomy from both a technical and human perspective. With a focus on multidisciplinary research that draws upon AI, safety science, philosophy, law and the social sciences, I believe SAINTS will be in a great position to make sure that the future of AI will be a positive one.
What one piece of advice do you have for SAINTs postgraduate researchers?
A PhD is a marathon not a sprint, so pace yourself and make sure you spend time on other things in your life that you enjoy. Try to enjoy the process and not just focus on the outcomes!
Read about more of the SAINTS Team