MIT Media Lab
Personal Robots Group
CV | Google Scholar
Hi, I'm Daniella! My research focuses on the identity development of youth in the era of artificial intelligence. I am particularly interested in technologies that emulate social and relational interactions, such as social robots and chatbots. Given that much of children's identity development stems from social interactions, I am to understand how artificial relationships might influence this trajectory.
My work takes an interdisciplinary approach to this topic:
- I conduct human-ai interaction research to understand how AI technologies might influence identity formation.
- I design curricula and learning experiences to enhance youth's understanding of socio-technical systems.
- I write policy guidance and collaborate with legal scholars to ensure that AI is deployed for youth in an equitable and responsible way.
I am currently a PhD Student at the MIT Media Lab advised by Professor Cynthia Breazeal. I have a Bachelor's in Human Factors Engineering from Tufts University and a Master's in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT. Prior to my graduate work, worked as a design researcher at Jibo, Inc.
News
An Interview with Dr. Casey Fiesler about using social media to amplify topics in tech ethics was published in the MIT Science Policy Review. I worked on this piece with my colleague Raechel Walker.
A journal paper that I collaborated on, titled Empathy Towards AI vs Human Experiences: The Role of Transparency in Mental Health and Social Support Chatbot Design was accepted for publication in JMIR's Mental Health Issue.
MA Primary voter guide that I worked on as a part of the Graduate Student Council's External Affairs Board was published. If you are a MA voter in the MIT area, check it out!
A policy memo on AI in Education that I wrote in collaboration with MIT RAISE was published by the Schwarzmann College of Computing.
I was elected Vice-Chair of the MIT Graduate Council's External Affairs Board, which advocates for graduate students at the local, state, and federal policy levels.
I visited Washington D.C. to meet with lawmakers about the importance of science policy as a part of MIT SPI's Congressional Visit Days 2024