Qing XIAO

PhD Student, Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), School of Computer Science (SCS), Carnegie Mellon University

Contact Me: qingx at andrew dot cmu dot edu

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How to pronounce my name: Qīng, pronounced like “Ching” (rhymes with “sing”), Xiāo, pronounced like “Shyao” (rhymes with “meow” but starts with a ‘sh’ sound).

I’m Qing Xiao, a second-year PhD student at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) within the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), advised by Dr. Hong Shen and part of the CARE (Collective AI Research and Evaluation) Lab.

My research focuses on the evolving relationship between humans and Al. As generative and agentic AI systems become increasingly capable and increasingly embedded in people’s everyday lives, fundamental questions arise about how human life and society are being reshaped. My research examines how people collaborate with these increasingly capable AI systems, how such systems can be designed to act as effective and responsible partners, and what design and policy principles should guide the evolving human-AI relationship.

Research Themes

For a list of publications see Google Scholar.

Theme 1
Interacting with Increasingly Professionally Capable AI

My first line of research focuses on the future of work. I study how people work with AI systems as they increasingly enter domains of professional expertise that have long defined human work and organizational life. This line of research asks: how do workers negotiate responsibility, professional authority, and teamwork as AI takes on core professional capacities, and how can these systems be designed and governed to function as responsible collaborators in the workplace?

Theme 2
Interacting with Increasingly Emotionally Capable AI

My second line of research focuses on AI companions and emerging relational AI. I study how people relate to AI systems as they increasingly enter domains of emotion and companionship that have long been central to human social relationship. This line of research asks: how do users build and experience relationships with AI, how do value conflicts emerge in relational interactions, and how can these systems be designed to support care, safety, and human well-being?

Theme 3
Interacting with Increasingly Cognitively Capable AI

My third line of research focuses on AI agents and agentic AI. I study how people interact with AI systems as they increasingly take on cognitive capacities that have long been central to human thought, including information seeking, reasoning, and decision-making. This line of research asks: what happens when people delegate core cognitive work to AI agents, where do breakdowns and risks emerge, and how can these systems be designed to support effective, accountable, and secure human-agent collaboration?

Theme 4
Situating Human-AI Interaction in Broader Socio-Technical Contexts

I also conduct broader research on digital platforms, social media, algorithmic systems, and marginalized communities. This line of research asks: how do digital technologies mediate work, social relations, and everyday life? I see this work as an intellectual complement to my human-AI research, allowing me to study emerging technologies, including AI, as the newest chapter in longer histories of technologically mediated communication.