Applications for education and/or healthcare: Exploring the potential of ‘human-like’ computing

We invite applications from candidates that have an interest in the area of artificially intelligent human-like computing and exploring the potential of designing, developing, and evaluating prototype applications within the education and healthcare domains.

Artificially Intelligent, ‘human-like’ applications, digital games, chatbots and artificially intelligent conversational interfaces (such as ChatGPT) are becoming more common in our everyday lives. Such applications may use a multitude of inputs such as text and voice, and sensor-based inputs such as physiological responses, facial expressions, gestural and to enable such applications to interact intelligently with the user. Whilst many commercialised examples of such applications have begun to permeate our day-to-day lives, for example conversational agents (e.g. ChatGPT), smart phone assistants (e.g. Siri), smart home hubs, self-driving cars, much less effort has been invested into exploring the potential of using such technologies to make a positive impact on people’s lives. More specifically, there is a need to explore the value of designing, developing and applying such applications within the education and healthcare space.

Candidates should ideally have some prototype design or software development skills. Experience of carrying out user-centred research and collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data is also desirable.

As a guide, some candidate topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Exploring the value and opportunities of integrating AI conversational agents into teaching practice.
• Exploring the value of using AI conversational agents to help improve student experience and/or learning.
• Exploring the value of using AI conversational agents for assessment compared with traditional assessment methods in higher education.
• Improving patient education of falls risks via intelligent ‘human-like’ 3D gaming applications.
• Delivering truly Student-Centred Learning education via an intelligent gaming application.
• Improving mental health awareness and education via an intelligent human-like companion

Whilst this advertisement sets the backdrop to the area in which the successful PhD candidate could position their research, there is much scope for tailoring this topic to the successful candidate’s specific knowledge, interests, and skills.

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.