H. Verma
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65 records found
1
Conference paper
(2026)
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Elaine Czech, Luma Tabbaa, Xiang Li, Sophia Ppali, Yvonne Cullen, Chee Siang Ang, Himanshu Verma, Alexandra Covaci
In underserved coastal communities, the adoption of digital technology is deeply stratified. While schools with high socio-economic status (SES) leverage technology for creative agency, under-resourced schools often face a second-level digital divide, where hardware is treated as a disruption rather than a tool for inquiry. We investigate this dynamic through an exploratory study of a digital arts programme in low-SES UK secondary schools, in which Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers served as advisors and observers of a co-created partnership between schools and a local digital arts charity. Our findings reveal a pedagogical chasm. Systemic constraints and assessment pressures force teachers into the role of risk-averse behavioural gatekeepers, while external facilitators manage the creative play. However, we identify how students bridge this gap by establishing peer infrastructures, shared talk and repair work that transform technical breakdowns into possibility spaces for learning. We argue that sustainable integration requires designing for school settings to empower the human relationships central to creative technology use.
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In underserved coastal communities, the adoption of digital technology is deeply stratified. While schools with high socio-economic status (SES) leverage technology for creative agency, under-resourced schools often face a second-level digital divide, where hardware is treated as a disruption rather than a tool for inquiry. We investigate this dynamic through an exploratory study of a digital arts programme in low-SES UK secondary schools, in which Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers served as advisors and observers of a co-created partnership between schools and a local digital arts charity. Our findings reveal a pedagogical chasm. Systemic constraints and assessment pressures force teachers into the role of risk-averse behavioural gatekeepers, while external facilitators manage the creative play. However, we identify how students bridge this gap by establishing peer infrastructures, shared talk and repair work that transform technical breakdowns into possibility spaces for learning. We argue that sustainable integration requires designing for school settings to empower the human relationships central to creative technology use.
Access to cervical cancer care remains limited in sub-Saharan Africa, where women face compounded socio-cultural, gendered, and structural barriers. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of nine women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Ethiopia and develops an empirically grounded patient journey map as a design and process artifact based on semi-structured interviews. The journey map reveals fragmented, non-linear care pathways, showing how barriers accumulate from symptom recognition through diagnosis, treatment, and post-treatment support. By visualizing breakdowns and transitions across the care path, the artifact supports problem framing, reflection, and identification of design opportunities. These disruptions intensify emotional and practical burdens, highlighting critical gaps in health literacy, information access, and continuity of care in the healthcare structure. The journey map defines a design-relevant problem space for context-sensitive digital health interventions. This work provides evidence for HCI researchers and practitioners to address accessibility barriers in cervical cancer care in low-resource settings.
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Access to cervical cancer care remains limited in sub-Saharan Africa, where women face compounded socio-cultural, gendered, and structural barriers. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of nine women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Ethiopia and develops an empirically grounded patient journey map as a design and process artifact based on semi-structured interviews. The journey map reveals fragmented, non-linear care pathways, showing how barriers accumulate from symptom recognition through diagnosis, treatment, and post-treatment support. By visualizing breakdowns and transitions across the care path, the artifact supports problem framing, reflection, and identification of design opportunities. These disruptions intensify emotional and practical burdens, highlighting critical gaps in health literacy, information access, and continuity of care in the healthcare structure. The journey map defines a design-relevant problem space for context-sensitive digital health interventions. This work provides evidence for HCI researchers and practitioners to address accessibility barriers in cervical cancer care in low-resource settings.
The Bots of Persuasion
Examining How Conversational Agents' Linguistic Expressions of Personality Affect User Perceptions and Decisions
Conference paper
(2026)
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Hüseyin Ugur Genç, Heng Gu, Chadha Degachi, Evangelos Niforatos, Senthil Chandrasegaran, Himanshu Verma
Large Language Model-powered conversational agents (CAs) are increasingly capable of projecting sophisticated personalities through language, but how these projections affect users is unclear. We thus examine how CA personalities expressed linguistically affect user decisions and perceptions in the context of charitable giving. In a crowdsourced study, 360 participants interacted with one of eight CAs, each projecting a personality composed of three linguistic aspects: attitude (optimistic/pessimistic), authority (authoritative/submissive), and reasoning (emotional/rational). While the CA's composite personality did not affect participants' decisions, it did affect their perceptions and emotional responses. Particularly, participants interacting with pessimistic CAs felt lower emotional state and lower affinity towards the cause, perceived the CA as less trustworthy and less competent, and yet tended to donate more toward the charity. Perceptions of trust, competence, and situational empathy significantly predicted donation decisions. Our findings emphasize the risks CAs pose as instruments of manipulation, subtly influencing user perceptions and decisions.
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Large Language Model-powered conversational agents (CAs) are increasingly capable of projecting sophisticated personalities through language, but how these projections affect users is unclear. We thus examine how CA personalities expressed linguistically affect user decisions and perceptions in the context of charitable giving. In a crowdsourced study, 360 participants interacted with one of eight CAs, each projecting a personality composed of three linguistic aspects: attitude (optimistic/pessimistic), authority (authoritative/submissive), and reasoning (emotional/rational). While the CA's composite personality did not affect participants' decisions, it did affect their perceptions and emotional responses. Particularly, participants interacting with pessimistic CAs felt lower emotional state and lower affinity towards the cause, perceived the CA as less trustworthy and less competent, and yet tended to donate more toward the charity. Perceptions of trust, competence, and situational empathy significantly predicted donation decisions. Our findings emphasize the risks CAs pose as instruments of manipulation, subtly influencing user perceptions and decisions.
Reclaiming Creative Exploration
An in Situ Study to Support Process-based Learning Through Digital Making in Low Socioeconomic Schools
Conference paper
(2026)
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Elaine Czech, Luma Tabbaa, Xiang Li, Sophia Ppali, Yvonne Mary Cullen, Chee Siang Ang, Himanshu Verma, Alexandra Covaci
Secondary school systems often reward predictable, mark-bearing performance, making experimentation feel risky, especially in under-resourced contexts, where time, attention, and materials are tightly managed. We report on an exploratory case study of a charity-led digital arts programme delivered in two low-socioeconomic secondary schools in which immersive (i.e., Virtual Reality) and non-immersive (i.e., tablet-based) digital tools were introduced into Year 7 (400+ pupils, typically aged 11-12) curriculum. Through thematic analysis of the lesson observation notes and student surveys, we show that pupils take more creative risks, value exploration, iterate more, and increasingly learn through and with peers. We characterise shifts in classroom ecology, including shared talk, turn-taking, micro-tutorials, and practices of care and repair that help sustain learning-in-process. Finally, we analyse the breakdowns and trade-offs of deploying off-the-shelf creative technologies in low-resource school routines, and derive deployment lessons for resilient, bottom-up creative technology curricula that fit everyday classrooms.
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Secondary school systems often reward predictable, mark-bearing performance, making experimentation feel risky, especially in under-resourced contexts, where time, attention, and materials are tightly managed. We report on an exploratory case study of a charity-led digital arts programme delivered in two low-socioeconomic secondary schools in which immersive (i.e., Virtual Reality) and non-immersive (i.e., tablet-based) digital tools were introduced into Year 7 (400+ pupils, typically aged 11-12) curriculum. Through thematic analysis of the lesson observation notes and student surveys, we show that pupils take more creative risks, value exploration, iterate more, and increasingly learn through and with peers. We characterise shifts in classroom ecology, including shared talk, turn-taking, micro-tutorials, and practices of care and repair that help sustain learning-in-process. Finally, we analyse the breakdowns and trade-offs of deploying off-the-shelf creative technologies in low-resource school routines, and derive deployment lessons for resilient, bottom-up creative technology curricula that fit everyday classrooms.
Conference paper
(2026)
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Sophia Ppali, Mireia Yurrita, Alice Vitali, Alok Debnath, Lucie Flek, Andrea Cuadra, Sven Mayer, Michal Lahav, Himanshu Verma, More Authors
The EmpathiCH workshop series has, over three iterations, unpacked how empathy is conceptualized, measured, and used in HCI, identifying both its potential benefits and notable pitfalls. Despite these discussions, the diverse roles of empathy in research and practice remain fragmented and under-theorized. This fourth iteration seeks to consolidate perspectives by situating empathy within a sociomaterial framework. We propose exploring three dimensions-technology, social practices, and context-that shape how empathy is conceptualized and applied. The workshop will combine an interactive, discussion-centric format enabling participants to share experiences, debate perspectives, and collaboratively analyze cases across these dimensions. Outcomes will contribute to co-developing a sociomaterial taxonomy for empathy in HCI, offering conceptual clarity and practical guidance for design. Participants will engage in critical dialogue, connect with peers, and contribute directly to shaping the future of empathy-centered approaches in HCI.
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The EmpathiCH workshop series has, over three iterations, unpacked how empathy is conceptualized, measured, and used in HCI, identifying both its potential benefits and notable pitfalls. Despite these discussions, the diverse roles of empathy in research and practice remain fragmented and under-theorized. This fourth iteration seeks to consolidate perspectives by situating empathy within a sociomaterial framework. We propose exploring three dimensions-technology, social practices, and context-that shape how empathy is conceptualized and applied. The workshop will combine an interactive, discussion-centric format enabling participants to share experiences, debate perspectives, and collaboratively analyze cases across these dimensions. Outcomes will contribute to co-developing a sociomaterial taxonomy for empathy in HCI, offering conceptual clarity and practical guidance for design. Participants will engage in critical dialogue, connect with peers, and contribute directly to shaping the future of empathy-centered approaches in HCI.
Disability, Differences, and Diversity
Revisiting Inclusive Design and Access
Conference paper
(2026)
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Himanshu Verma, Giulia Barbareschi, Sophia Ppali, Kathrin Gerling, Maartje De Meulder, Judith Good, Jatinder Singh, Pablo Cesar, Alessandro Bozzon, More Authors
Over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with long-term disabilities, yet many still face systemic exclusion despite advances in accessibility policy and technology. New regulations such as the EU Accessibility Act demand comprehensive transitions, but compliance risks becoming a superficial “checklist” exercise rather than fostering meaningful inclusion. For the HCI community, this moment calls for rethinking our approaches to participation, technology, ethics, and policy. In this meetup, we bring together researchers, practitioners, and advocates to revisit inclusive design through four themes: rethinking inclusive methodologies, disentangling technological challenges, unpacking ethical implications, and navigating policy opportunities. Through interactive mapping activities, participants will share practices, identify collaboration opportunities, and co-develop future directions. Our goal is to build cross-disciplinary connections and create actionable approaches that move beyond compliance toward holistic inclusion, ensuring that accessibility remains central to HCI research and practice.
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Over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with long-term disabilities, yet many still face systemic exclusion despite advances in accessibility policy and technology. New regulations such as the EU Accessibility Act demand comprehensive transitions, but compliance risks becoming a superficial “checklist” exercise rather than fostering meaningful inclusion. For the HCI community, this moment calls for rethinking our approaches to participation, technology, ethics, and policy. In this meetup, we bring together researchers, practitioners, and advocates to revisit inclusive design through four themes: rethinking inclusive methodologies, disentangling technological challenges, unpacking ethical implications, and navigating policy opportunities. Through interactive mapping activities, participants will share practices, identify collaboration opportunities, and co-develop future directions. Our goal is to build cross-disciplinary connections and create actionable approaches that move beyond compliance toward holistic inclusion, ensuring that accessibility remains central to HCI research and practice.
Connecting Power and Play
Investigating Interactive Energy Harvesting in Battery-Free Gaming
Conference paper
(2026)
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James Scott Broadhead, Jasper De Winkel, Alejandro Cabrerizo Martinez De La Puente, Himanshu Verma, Przemysław Pawełczak
Battery-free computer gaming offers a vision of sustainable interaction in which games run on hardware that does not require a battery, yet this approach introduces uncertainty due to frequent power failures. Rather than viewing these failures as limitations, this work examines how integrating energy harvesting with application design can encourage users to reimagine and work with such failures, thus shaping behaviour and supporting device use. We present TURNER, a state-of-the-art modular battery-free games console powered by a hand crank and solar cells, created as a research probe to study how energy harvesting mediates the relationship between power and interaction. In a mixed-methods study (N = 60), we explored the influence of energy harvesting on gameplay. Findings show significant variations in harvesting strategies, with interviews surfacing strategies for creating applications that respond to and build on the patterns of system power failure, the ergonomics of energy harvesting, and the value of embedding energy generation into play. Our work offers insights for interactive, sustainable battery-free computers.
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Battery-free computer gaming offers a vision of sustainable interaction in which games run on hardware that does not require a battery, yet this approach introduces uncertainty due to frequent power failures. Rather than viewing these failures as limitations, this work examines how integrating energy harvesting with application design can encourage users to reimagine and work with such failures, thus shaping behaviour and supporting device use. We present TURNER, a state-of-the-art modular battery-free games console powered by a hand crank and solar cells, created as a research probe to study how energy harvesting mediates the relationship between power and interaction. In a mixed-methods study (N = 60), we explored the influence of energy harvesting on gameplay. Findings show significant variations in harvesting strategies, with interviews surfacing strategies for creating applications that respond to and build on the patterns of system power failure, the ergonomics of energy harvesting, and the value of embedding energy generation into play. Our work offers insights for interactive, sustainable battery-free computers.
Seeing Each Other at Work
Speculative Artifacts and Exegesis for Algorithmic Visibility
Algorithmic systems embedded in everyday collaboration platforms increasingly shape the way workers form impressions about each other. As they infer, evaluate, and act upon workers' traces, professional visibility becomes entangled with surveillance, recognition, and new forms of agency and reappropriation. This pictorial examines how such entanglements are materialized and negotiated when algorithmic systems and AI agents enter workplace visibility practices. We present a set of speculative artifacts situated within a shared regime of algorithmic workplace visibility, including organizational performance dashboards, predictive interfaces, Agentic AI, third-party optimization tools, and critical reactions around such socio-technical constellations. The pictorial pairs these artifacts with marginal annotations that operate as exegesis - critical, analytical, or elaborative commentary - positioning and interpreting the situated material work of design in relation to critical HCI scholarship. Our contribution lies in the insights about algorithmic visibility made possible through the indexical ties between speculative artifacts and exegetic annotation.
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Algorithmic systems embedded in everyday collaboration platforms increasingly shape the way workers form impressions about each other. As they infer, evaluate, and act upon workers' traces, professional visibility becomes entangled with surveillance, recognition, and new forms of agency and reappropriation. This pictorial examines how such entanglements are materialized and negotiated when algorithmic systems and AI agents enter workplace visibility practices. We present a set of speculative artifacts situated within a shared regime of algorithmic workplace visibility, including organizational performance dashboards, predictive interfaces, Agentic AI, third-party optimization tools, and critical reactions around such socio-technical constellations. The pictorial pairs these artifacts with marginal annotations that operate as exegesis - critical, analytical, or elaborative commentary - positioning and interpreting the situated material work of design in relation to critical HCI scholarship. Our contribution lies in the insights about algorithmic visibility made possible through the indexical ties between speculative artifacts and exegetic annotation.
Conversational Web Browsing
Where Do Existing DesignGuidelines Fall Short?
Conversational interaction is becoming ubiquitous, offering new opportunities to make digital content more accessible and inclusive. While numerous guidelines exist in the literature to inform the design of conversational interfaces, these typically focus on "standalone"voice agents or chatbots. In this survey, we explore guidelines for conversational web browsing, a paradigm in which the conversational interface acts as a middleman between users and web pages. We survey the literature on conversational interaction and web accessibility to map design guidelines for accessible and inclusive voice interaction with web content.
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Conversational interaction is becoming ubiquitous, offering new opportunities to make digital content more accessible and inclusive. While numerous guidelines exist in the literature to inform the design of conversational interfaces, these typically focus on "standalone"voice agents or chatbots. In this survey, we explore guidelines for conversational web browsing, a paradigm in which the conversational interface acts as a middleman between users and web pages. We survey the literature on conversational interaction and web accessibility to map design guidelines for accessible and inclusive voice interaction with web content.
Why does Automation Adoption in Organizations Remain a Fallacy?
Scrutinizing Practitioners' Imaginaries in an International Airport
In organizations, the interest in automation is long-standing. However, adopting automated processes remains challenging, even in environments that appear highly standardized and technically suitable for it. Through a case study in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, this paper investigates automation as a broader sociotechnical system influenced by a complex network of actors and contextual factors. We study practitioners' collective understandings of automation and subsequent efforts taken to implement it. Using imaginaries as a lens, we report findings from a qualitative interview study with 16 practitioners involved in airside automation projects. Our findings illustrate the organizational dynamics and complexities surrounding automation adoption, as reflected in the captured problem formulations, conceptions of the technology, envisioned human roles in autonomous operations, and perspectives on automation fit in the airside ecosystem. Ultimately, we advocate for contextual automation design, which carefully considers human roles, accounts for existing organizational politics, and avoids techno-solutionist approaches.
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In organizations, the interest in automation is long-standing. However, adopting automated processes remains challenging, even in environments that appear highly standardized and technically suitable for it. Through a case study in Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, this paper investigates automation as a broader sociotechnical system influenced by a complex network of actors and contextual factors. We study practitioners' collective understandings of automation and subsequent efforts taken to implement it. Using imaginaries as a lens, we report findings from a qualitative interview study with 16 practitioners involved in airside automation projects. Our findings illustrate the organizational dynamics and complexities surrounding automation adoption, as reflected in the captured problem formulations, conceptions of the technology, envisioned human roles in autonomous operations, and perspectives on automation fit in the airside ecosystem. Ultimately, we advocate for contextual automation design, which carefully considers human roles, accounts for existing organizational politics, and avoids techno-solutionist approaches.
The way we work is no longer hybrid—it is blended with AI co-workers, automated decisions, and virtual presence reshaping human roles, agency, and expertise. We now work through AI, with our outputs shaped by invisible algorithms. AI’s infiltration into knowledge, creative, and service work is not just about automation, but concerns redistribution of agency, creativity, and control. How do we deal with physical and distributed AI-mediated workspaces? What happens when algorithms co-author reports, and draft our creative work? In this provocation, we argue that hybrid work is obsolete. Blended work is the future, not just in physical and virtual spaces but in how human effort and AI output become inseparable. We argue this shift demands urgent attention to AI-mediated work practices, work-life boundaries, physical-digital interactions, and AI transparency and accountability. The question is not whether we accept it, but whether we actively shape it before it shapes us.
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The way we work is no longer hybrid—it is blended with AI co-workers, automated decisions, and virtual presence reshaping human roles, agency, and expertise. We now work through AI, with our outputs shaped by invisible algorithms. AI’s infiltration into knowledge, creative, and service work is not just about automation, but concerns redistribution of agency, creativity, and control. How do we deal with physical and distributed AI-mediated workspaces? What happens when algorithms co-author reports, and draft our creative work? In this provocation, we argue that hybrid work is obsolete. Blended work is the future, not just in physical and virtual spaces but in how human effort and AI output become inseparable. We argue this shift demands urgent attention to AI-mediated work practices, work-life boundaries, physical-digital interactions, and AI transparency and accountability. The question is not whether we accept it, but whether we actively shape it before it shapes us.
Multimorphic Textile-forms (MMTF) proposes a novel approach for creating seamless and sustainable textiles by simultaneously understanding both textile and form, which change over time across material, social, and ecological scales. MMTF capitalizes on textiles’ ability to be situated in multiple contexts, i.e., multi-situatedness, for enriched experiences and prolonged user-textile engagements. In this paper, we delve into this under-explored potential of textiles’ multiplicity by investigating the materials experience, particularly the performativity of an everyday MMTF artifact, AnimaTo. We designed AnimaTo to display morphing behavior when exposed to water over two sequential stages: shrinking and unfolding. Then, we deployed AnimaTo in a two-week longitudinal study, presenting it as an ordinary tea towel and encouraging users to interact as they wished, guided by its evolving shape, size, and texture. We collected in-depth accounts of materials experiences combining qualitative and quantitative methods. AnimaTo’s morphing behavior generated curiosity, suggesting creative uses beyond the kitchen context. However, deviations from AnimaTo’s initial state also caused frustration and interrupted use. We discuss the design implications of MMTF artifacts, emphasizing a critical balance between function, temporality, and materiality. This work advocates for embracing multiplicity in designing textile artifacts, generating value at use time, fostering sustained user-textile relationships, and ultimately contributing towards regenerative futures.
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Multimorphic Textile-forms (MMTF) proposes a novel approach for creating seamless and sustainable textiles by simultaneously understanding both textile and form, which change over time across material, social, and ecological scales. MMTF capitalizes on textiles’ ability to be situated in multiple contexts, i.e., multi-situatedness, for enriched experiences and prolonged user-textile engagements. In this paper, we delve into this under-explored potential of textiles’ multiplicity by investigating the materials experience, particularly the performativity of an everyday MMTF artifact, AnimaTo. We designed AnimaTo to display morphing behavior when exposed to water over two sequential stages: shrinking and unfolding. Then, we deployed AnimaTo in a two-week longitudinal study, presenting it as an ordinary tea towel and encouraging users to interact as they wished, guided by its evolving shape, size, and texture. We collected in-depth accounts of materials experiences combining qualitative and quantitative methods. AnimaTo’s morphing behavior generated curiosity, suggesting creative uses beyond the kitchen context. However, deviations from AnimaTo’s initial state also caused frustration and interrupted use. We discuss the design implications of MMTF artifacts, emphasizing a critical balance between function, temporality, and materiality. This work advocates for embracing multiplicity in designing textile artifacts, generating value at use time, fostering sustained user-textile relationships, and ultimately contributing towards regenerative futures.
Prompting Realities
Exploring the Potentials of Prompting for Tangible Artifacts
Designing meaningful tangible and embodied interactions remains challenging due to their situated nature, complex user needs, and the limited programming skills of many users as well as designers. We developed an interaction model where users and LLMs co-perform tangible actions through prompt engineering beyond deterministic logic of commercial smart systems. In this model AI systems interpret natural language descriptions of environmental context, internalize technical functionalities and spatial cues, and translate these into tangible actions. We encapsulated the interaction model within a LLM-enabled tangible artifact as a HCI provotype and conducted an initial exploratory study around it. Our preliminary findings point to opportunities in refinement and reappropriation of such systems over the use period as well as challenges in adapting deictic spatial references.
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Designing meaningful tangible and embodied interactions remains challenging due to their situated nature, complex user needs, and the limited programming skills of many users as well as designers. We developed an interaction model where users and LLMs co-perform tangible actions through prompt engineering beyond deterministic logic of commercial smart systems. In this model AI systems interpret natural language descriptions of environmental context, internalize technical functionalities and spatial cues, and translate these into tangible actions. We encapsulated the interaction model within a LLM-enabled tangible artifact as a HCI provotype and conducted an initial exploratory study around it. Our preliminary findings point to opportunities in refinement and reappropriation of such systems over the use period as well as challenges in adapting deictic spatial references.
Towards Effective Human Intervention in Algorithmic Decision-Making
Understanding the Effect of Decision-Makers' Configuration on Decision-Subjects' Fairness Perceptions
Conference paper
(2025)
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Mireia Yurrita, Himanshu Verma, Agathe Balayn, Ujwal Gadiraju, Sylvia C. Pont, Alessandro Bozzon
Human intervention is claimed to safeguard decision-subjects’ rights in algorithmic decision-making and contribute to their fairness perceptions. However, how decision-subjects perceive hybrid decision-maker configurations (i.e., combining humans and algorithms) is unclear. We address this gap through a mixed-methods study in an algorithmic policy enforcement context. Through qualitative interviews (Study 1; N1 = 21), we identify three characteristics (i.e., decision-maker’s profile, model type, input data provenance) that affect how decision-subjects perceive decision-makers’ ability, benevolence, and integrity (ABI). Through a quantitative study (Study 2; N2 = 223), we then systematically evaluate the individual and combined effects of these characteristics on decision-subjects’ perceptions towards decision-makers, and fairness perceptions. We found that only decision-maker’s profile contributes to perceived ability, benevolence, and integrity. Interestingly, the effect of decision-maker’s profile on fairness perceptions was mediated by perceived ability and integrity. Our findings have design implications for ensuring effective human intervention as a protection against harmful algorithmic decisions.
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Human intervention is claimed to safeguard decision-subjects’ rights in algorithmic decision-making and contribute to their fairness perceptions. However, how decision-subjects perceive hybrid decision-maker configurations (i.e., combining humans and algorithms) is unclear. We address this gap through a mixed-methods study in an algorithmic policy enforcement context. Through qualitative interviews (Study 1; N1 = 21), we identify three characteristics (i.e., decision-maker’s profile, model type, input data provenance) that affect how decision-subjects perceive decision-makers’ ability, benevolence, and integrity (ABI). Through a quantitative study (Study 2; N2 = 223), we then systematically evaluate the individual and combined effects of these characteristics on decision-subjects’ perceptions towards decision-makers, and fairness perceptions. We found that only decision-maker’s profile contributes to perceived ability, benevolence, and integrity. Interestingly, the effect of decision-maker’s profile on fairness perceptions was mediated by perceived ability and integrity. Our findings have design implications for ensuring effective human intervention as a protection against harmful algorithmic decisions.
Framing the (in)visible
Insights into Visibility Practices of Remote Knowledge Workers
Remote collaboration technologies shape how workers are perceived by colleagues and managers, influencing career progression, trust, and workplace dynamics. This study examines visibility practices—also known as self-presentation or impression management—by exploring interactions through which remote workers establish and maintain visibility. Through 16 semi-structured interviews with remote knowledge workers across various roles and regions, we identify key visibility practices: participating in meetings, leaving traceable links to quality work outputs, and reappropriating miscellaneous features to become visible for others. However, these practices are deeply intertwined with negative psycho-social externalities such as internal pressures, fears, mistrust, and privacy concerns that endanger workers’ overall well-being. Our contributions include (1) empirical insights into workplace visibility and its entangled psycho-social complexities, (2) visibility ecosystem as a socio-material frame, capturing human-technology interactions in when visibility is at stake, and (3) design implications for collaboration technologies that support visibility practices while mitigating associated psycho-social externalities.
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Remote collaboration technologies shape how workers are perceived by colleagues and managers, influencing career progression, trust, and workplace dynamics. This study examines visibility practices—also known as self-presentation or impression management—by exploring interactions through which remote workers establish and maintain visibility. Through 16 semi-structured interviews with remote knowledge workers across various roles and regions, we identify key visibility practices: participating in meetings, leaving traceable links to quality work outputs, and reappropriating miscellaneous features to become visible for others. However, these practices are deeply intertwined with negative psycho-social externalities such as internal pressures, fears, mistrust, and privacy concerns that endanger workers’ overall well-being. Our contributions include (1) empirical insights into workplace visibility and its entangled psycho-social complexities, (2) visibility ecosystem as a socio-material frame, capturing human-technology interactions in when visibility is at stake, and (3) design implications for collaboration technologies that support visibility practices while mitigating associated psycho-social externalities.
Key Considerations for the Automation of Physical Work in Organizations
The Effect of Stakeholders
In organizations, the adoption of automation is a crucial yet understudied phenomenon that surrounds the provision of successful human-automation teamwork in physical work settings. Automation adoption is an entangled process, where the social and technical aspects of organizations mutually shape each other. In this paper, we specifically focus on the stakeholders that affect automation adoption, to expose how their dynamics and practices to conceptualize, develop, and deploy automation could influence the facilitation of successful human-automation teams. First, we present our research in a specific organization, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Second, based on our insights, we discuss the key role of practitioners, technology suppliers, workers, and ecosystem actors regarding automation adoption; we illustrate their perspectives and development pathways, to point at key aspects that could influence the design of successful human-automation teams. Finally, we derive takeaways concerning the design of human-automation teams, that aim to inform future HCI research.
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In organizations, the adoption of automation is a crucial yet understudied phenomenon that surrounds the provision of successful human-automation teamwork in physical work settings. Automation adoption is an entangled process, where the social and technical aspects of organizations mutually shape each other. In this paper, we specifically focus on the stakeholders that affect automation adoption, to expose how their dynamics and practices to conceptualize, develop, and deploy automation could influence the facilitation of successful human-automation teams. First, we present our research in a specific organization, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Second, based on our insights, we discuss the key role of practitioners, technology suppliers, workers, and ecosystem actors regarding automation adoption; we illustrate their perspectives and development pathways, to point at key aspects that could influence the design of successful human-automation teams. Finally, we derive takeaways concerning the design of human-automation teams, that aim to inform future HCI research.
Persuasion in Pixels and Prose
The Effects of Emotional Language and Visuals in Agent Conversations on Decision-Making
The growing sophistication of Large Language Models allows conversational agents (CAs) to engage users in increasingly personalized and targeted conversations. While users may vary in their receptiveness to CA persuasion, stylistic elements and agent personalities can be adjusted on the fly. Combined with image generation models that create context-specific realistic visuals, CAs have the potential to influence user behavior and decision making. We investigate the effects of linguistic and visual elements used by CAs on user perception and decision making in a charitable donation context with an online experiment (n=344). We find that while CA attitude influenced trust, it did not affect donation behavior. Visual primes played no role in shaping trust, though their absence resulted in higher donations and situational empathy. Perceptions of competence and situational empathy were potential predictors of donation amounts. We discuss the complex interplay of user and CA characteristics and the fine line between benign behavior signaling and manipulation.
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The growing sophistication of Large Language Models allows conversational agents (CAs) to engage users in increasingly personalized and targeted conversations. While users may vary in their receptiveness to CA persuasion, stylistic elements and agent personalities can be adjusted on the fly. Combined with image generation models that create context-specific realistic visuals, CAs have the potential to influence user behavior and decision making. We investigate the effects of linguistic and visual elements used by CAs on user perception and decision making in a charitable donation context with an online experiment (n=344). We find that while CA attitude influenced trust, it did not affect donation behavior. Visual primes played no role in shaping trust, though their absence resulted in higher donations and situational empathy. Perceptions of competence and situational empathy were potential predictors of donation amounts. We discuss the complex interplay of user and CA characteristics and the fine line between benign behavior signaling and manipulation.
Journal article
(2025)
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Mireia Yurrita, Himanshu Verma, Agathe Balayn, Kars Alfrink, Ujwal Gadiraju, Alessandro Bozzon
Contestability has been proposed as a key element in designing algorithmic decision-making processes that safeguard decision subjects' rights to dignity and autonomy. However, little is known about how contestability can be operationalized based on decision subjects' needs and preferences. We address this research gap by identifying decision subjects' information and procedural needs for enacting meaningful contestability. To this end, we chose an illegal holiday rental detection scenario as our case; a high-risk decision-making process in the public sector. We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with citizens with experience renting their homes out and different levels of AI literacy. We found that decision subjects request interventions that facilitate (1) cooperation in sense-making, (2) support in contestation acts, and (3) appropriate responsibility attribution. Our results highlight the cooperative work behind contestability, and motivate future efforts to structure individual and collective action, to personalize explanations for contestability, and to open up sites of contestation in AI pipelines.
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Contestability has been proposed as a key element in designing algorithmic decision-making processes that safeguard decision subjects' rights to dignity and autonomy. However, little is known about how contestability can be operationalized based on decision subjects' needs and preferences. We address this research gap by identifying decision subjects' information and procedural needs for enacting meaningful contestability. To this end, we chose an illegal holiday rental detection scenario as our case; a high-risk decision-making process in the public sector. We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with citizens with experience renting their homes out and different levels of AI literacy. We found that decision subjects request interventions that facilitate (1) cooperation in sense-making, (2) support in contestation acts, and (3) appropriate responsibility attribution. Our results highlight the cooperative work behind contestability, and motivate future efforts to structure individual and collective action, to personalize explanations for contestability, and to open up sites of contestation in AI pipelines.
The European Commission proposed harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (AI) on the 21st of April 2021 (namely the EU AI Act). Following a consultative process with the European Council and many amendments, a General Approach of the EU AI Act was published on the 25th of November 2022. The EU Parliament approved the initial draft in May 2023. Trilogue meetings took place in June, July, September and October 2023, with the aim for the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission to adopt a final version early 2024. This is the first attempt to build a legally binding legal instrument on Artificial Intelligence in the European Union (EU). In a similar way as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU AI Act has an extraterritorial effect. It has, therefore, the potential to become a global gold standard for AI regulation. It may also contribute to developing a global consensus on AI Trustworthiness because AI providers must conduct conformity assessments for high-risk AI systems prior to entry into the EU market. As the AI Act contains limited guidelines on how to conduct conformity assessments and ex-post monitoring in practice, there is a need for consensus building on this topic. This paper aims at studying the governance structure proposed by the EU AI Act, as approved by the European Council in November 2022, and proposes tools to conduct conformity assessments of AI systems.
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The European Commission proposed harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (AI) on the 21st of April 2021 (namely the EU AI Act). Following a consultative process with the European Council and many amendments, a General Approach of the EU AI Act was published on the 25th of November 2022. The EU Parliament approved the initial draft in May 2023. Trilogue meetings took place in June, July, September and October 2023, with the aim for the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission to adopt a final version early 2024. This is the first attempt to build a legally binding legal instrument on Artificial Intelligence in the European Union (EU). In a similar way as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU AI Act has an extraterritorial effect. It has, therefore, the potential to become a global gold standard for AI regulation. It may also contribute to developing a global consensus on AI Trustworthiness because AI providers must conduct conformity assessments for high-risk AI systems prior to entry into the EU market. As the AI Act contains limited guidelines on how to conduct conformity assessments and ex-post monitoring in practice, there is a need for consensus building on this topic. This paper aims at studying the governance structure proposed by the EU AI Act, as approved by the European Council in November 2022, and proposes tools to conduct conformity assessments of AI systems.