Hi I’m Thom, I am a postdoctoral researcher at Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, working with the AI for Collective Intelligence Hub. Before this I was a postdoc in the Dexterous Robotics laboratory at University of Bristol which is also where I earned my PhD in Complexity Science.
I’m interested in understanding how systems adapt or learn over time. I think this stems from learning the piano at a young age and recognising the power of deliberate practice. Why did it result in changes to my playing? Other questions followed: Why does revision work? Why do adverts work? Why does exposing people to an idea sometimes change their behaviour, and what are the physical mechanisms behind that? Much of my research career has been driven by my curiosity for these kinds of questions.
Over time, however, I’ve become more focused on solving problems, and now I’m interested in how the answers to these questions can help engineer solutions to societal problems. Being a part of AI4CI is a great chance for me to do exactly that. I feel part of a genuinely interdisciplinary team and I am enjoying doing impactful work that brings together my research experience in AI and complex systems.
What are you working on?
I’m currently working on a research project to understand how a user’s experience of an artificial advisory system affects how willing they are to accept its recommendations. The framing of a problem and its potential solutions is extremely important since it may influence subsequent decisions. We hope to understand not just what information should be presented, but how it should be presented to support better quality decision-making from human-AI collaborations… all without undermining the accountability of the humans at the centre of those decisions.
What excites you most about your field of research?
It can feel, particularly in research that borders the social sciences, that the priority for AI researchers should be to mitigate the inevitable harm AI might bring to society. I’m hopeful these risks are controlled for and taken seriously by society. In my research, I’m motivated by the idea of helping people to orient themselves in a useful way towards these new technologies, so they are empowered by them, rather than made dependent.
How the broader sociotechnical system responds to the widespread adoption of AI remains to be seen but I’m interested to find out.
Who has influenced your academic journey?
After my undergraduate degree, I worked in the environmental sector for several years when I happened to pick up the book Self Comes to Mind by the American neuroscientist Antonio Damasio. Reading it reminded me of the importance of staying curious and so the ideas in that book were key to my decision to return to study for a PhD.
Can you recommend a paper you think we should read?
Not a paper, but I really love the book Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology by Valentino Braitenberg. It contains a series of mind-bending thought experiments that explore artificial “living” systems. I enjoy recommending it to people.
What are your ‘Top Tips’ for early career researchers?
The path to success in an academic career isn’t always clear so finding a mentor who has navigated it can help identify that roadmap. A good mentor can also be an advocate for you in your department and connect you with opportunities for career development.
When it comes to research, it may pay to be strategic about your chosen area, especially if you’re minded to move to industry after academia. But you have to stay close to what interests you as I think motivation is key to productivity.