How can AI support interaction with complex systems?
Primary supervisor
Additional supervisors
- Emily Collins
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Other projects with the same supervisor
Funding
- Competition Funded Project (Students Worldwide)
This research project is one of a number of projects at this institution. It is in competition for funding with one or more of these projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be awarded the funding. Applications for this project are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full department and project details for further information.
Project description
As software systems grow in complexity, they become more difficult for humans to understand, debug, predict and maintain. Autogeneration of code may well exacerbate this issue further. This PhD will examine how AI techniques may be able to bridge the gap between complex software functionalities and human understanding, facilitating a more intuitive interaction with advanced software systems.
It will explore the potential of emerging technologies such as Large Language Models for generating information that is understandable and trusted by humans. It will take a flexible, mixed-methods approach to investigating the issue, linking data from qualitative (e.g. interview) studies with software engineers to the underpinning technologies, to provide an evidence-based theoretical foundation for specifying requirements for and/or deploying solutions effectively.
Applications are particularly welcomed from people who are able to combine technical expertise with an understanding of human cognition. The project will require the ability to understand code and coding practices, and the ability to design human studies. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills will be necessary. Applicants are invited to consider the topic creatively and focus on an area they believe to be particularly novel/promising.
Person specification
For information
- Candidates must hold a minimum of an upper Second Class UK Honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant science or engineering discipline.
- Candidates must meet the School's minimum English Language requirement.
- Candidates will be expected to comply with the University's policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion.
Essential
Applicants will be required to evidence the following skills and qualifications.
- You must be capable of performing at a very high level.
- You must have a self-driven interest in uncovering and solving unknown problems and be able to work hard and creatively without constant supervision.
Desirable
Applicants will be required to evidence the following skills and qualifications.
- You will have good time management.
- You will possess determination (which is often more important than qualifications) although you'll need a good amount of both.
General
Applicants will be required to address the following.
- Comment on your transcript/predicted degree marks, outlining both strong and weak points.
- Discuss your final year Undergraduate project work - and if appropriate your MSc project work.
- How well does your previous study prepare you for undertaking Postgraduate Research?
- Why do you believe you are suitable for doing Postgraduate Research?