Dr. Greg Corness, Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Technologies, is a researcher and artist focusing on human experience and embodied interaction in media environments. His work spans music, theatre, dance, research on games, installation art, interdisciplinary improvisation, and distributed cognition. Corness’s current research explores intuition in human-computer interactions, particularly with autonomous musical agents in live performances and video gaming. His studies investigate how performers perceive and interact with AI-based systems, emphasizing the importance of intention and trust in these interactions. Corness has conducted case studies using interactive systems that model the social cues humans use to project and perceive the intentions of others. This approach aims to make the AI’s decision-making process more transparent and improve collaboration between human and machine. His work contributes to developing AI literacy and understanding how humans can effectively navigate and collaborate with AI systems in creative contexts. https://gregcorness.wordpress.com/

Dr. Katherine Ellison, Chair of the Department of English, recently published an article titled “Defoe and the Chatbot: The Emotional Avoidance of Predictive Prose” in Digital Defoe: Studies in Defoe & His Contemporaries (Spring 2024). This piece investigates the relationship between AI language models and fiction, both of which rely on predictive prose. Katherine’s research focuses on how fictional depictions of AI have influenced our understanding of human-AI interactions, and how AI’s understanding of human dialogue is shaped by fictional texts. Using Daniel Defoe’s prose as a case study, Katherine explores the limitations of AI in recognizing and analyzing complex literary constructions, particularly the use of subjunctive mood in emotional situations. Her work suggests that both in literature and AI-human interactions, hypothetical constructions can create emotional disruption and hinder empathy.

Dr. Dmitry Zhdanov, State Farm Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity in the School of Information Technology, combines research with program development and student success in cybersecurity and information systems. In his previous position at Georgia State University, he led efforts to expand cybersecurity programs, working towards NSA/DHS Center of Excellence designation and updating curricula. At the University of Connecticut, he developed an IT Audit certificate and a university-wide Information Assurance minor. Zhdanov’s research covers cybersecurity, responsible computing, AI, sustainability, and IT economics. Zhdanov was recently appointed to the Illinois Governor’s Advisors on AI Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force. 

Dr. Dan Lannin, Associate Professor of Psychology, teaches counseling techniques, theories, and skills and researches how to make sense of factors related to mental health and well-being. He has developed a number of chatbots for counseling and tutoring, which will be evaluated with students in the future. https://about.illinoisstate.edu/dglann1 

• Affirmation Buddy: focuses the conversation to help students reflect on their values, strengths, and virtues. The purpose is that bolstering self-worth through affirmations makes people feel more secure in their identity, which can counteract effects of stigma. 
• Mental Health Support Buddy: provides empathetic listening, validation, and support. The purpose is that experiencing validation and empathy may help mental health (like a mini-therapy session). 
• Virtual Client: role-plays a therapy client, so therapists-in-training can practice their helping skills like empathetic listening and asking open-ended questions. The purpose is that students can practice outside of class and get feedback about their skills, which may help them be better helpers for actual humans. 
• Psychology Tutor: is trained to provide guidance on course information, assignments, and material for an upper-level psychology course I teach. The purpose is to provide a virtual TA that is available 24/7.