Daniel Snow

Title:  Data Aware Design: A framework for understanding human-data interaction in HCI and AI

Supervision Team: Marguerite Barry, UCD / Aphra Kerr, TU Dublin / David Coyle, UCD / Catherine Mooney, UCD / Dave Lewis, TCD / Declan O’Sullivan, TCD

Description: Many everyday digital interactions are reliant on personal data being processed, often passively and without user awareness, to allow for health tracking, social media and digital content delivery, voice assistant services, etc. The dependence of these applications on data and machine learning has created an urgent need for data aware design in computer science education, and in human computer interaction (HCI) and AI research. This PhD project will investigate how application designers understand and design for data use across services that use AI. Using qualitative methods, including interviews with practitioners, it will explore human-data interaction (HDI) and human computer interaction (HCI) theory and methods for understanding data interactions. The aim is to develop an interdisciplinary framework for data aware design in teaching and research, to support understanding between and to promote human-centred AI application design. This project would suit applicants interested in qualitative research for understanding people and practices.