1. HMC: Mutual Shaping Between AI and Humans

• The first line of my research examines how individuals perceive AI technologies as communicative entities and how these perceptions shape their interactions with AI.

• Across socially oriented encounters with embodied agents, such as social robots, and interactions with disembodied systems, such as voice assistants and virtual tutors, my work seeks to understand the mutual shaping of relationships between humans and AI. I aim to identify both the shared dynamics and the unique characteristics that define human–AI interactions across diverse contexts.

2. Virtually Influential:
The Rise of Virtual Influencers 

• My second line of research delves into the transformative effects of virtual influencers. I utilize an interdisciplinary approach that integrates perspectives from HCI, influencer marketing, and social psychology to decipher the mechanisms underlying virtual influencers’ impact and to identify boundary conditions that can improve their effectiveness, making them comparable to or even more effective than human influencers.

• I am also captivated by the process of how virtual influencers’ identities are shaped, as well as the behind-the-scenes human intervention, that infuses life into their digital personas. I seek to understand the unique forms of autonomy, authenticity, accountability, and relationships that virtual influencers introduce to the marketing paradigm.

3. Public Understanding of AI

• My third research line focuses on public perceptions of artificial intelligence and the communication processes through which these perceptions are formed. I examine how multilayered communication flows—ranging from news exposure to interpersonal discussion—shape civic engagement and attitudes toward participatory democracy in the context of AI.

• At the center of this work is the role of AI-related news consumption in cultivating public support for AI policies and regulatory frameworks. Through this line of inquiry, I aim to advance conversations about how AI reshapes civic life and democratic participation, and to highlight the essential role of communication in building public consensus around AI governance.