Winter Student Research Internship: Professional Value Beyond Automation: Graduates with Human-Centred Computing Background in AI-Mediated Work

Primary supervisor

Ee Hui Lim

This is a Winter Student Research Internship. Please apply here: https://www.monash.edu/study/fees-scholarships/scholarships/summer-winter

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping work across computing-related professions. Although AI systems can perform some technical and cognitive tasks, they continue to rely on human judgement, responsibility, and contextual understanding. Identifying where human contribution remains critical is therefore a substantive question for disciplines concerned with socio-technical systems.

This project examines how graduates with Human-Centred Computing (HCC) background articulate, enact, and sustain their professional value in AI-mediated workplaces. It does not focus on the use of AI in teaching or on AI system design. Instead, it investigates graduate role formation: the forms of work these graduates undertake that are less readily automated, how such work is recognised in practice, and how professional roles evolve across career stages.

In this study, “graduates with Human-Centred Computing (HCC) background” refers to students who have completed one or more HCC-related units within FIT (e.g., usability, human-centred AI, pervasive computing, or design-oriented units), rather than a formal HCC degree.

Recent HCI education commentary provides relevant context but limited empirical evidence on graduate outcomes. Hornbæk et al. (2026) argue that HCI education should evolve to address the challenges of human–AI interaction, but do not examine graduate trajectories. Similarly, Piccolo et al. (2025) identify ongoing opportunities and challenges in HCI education in response to changing socio-technical contexts, without focusing on professional outcomes. These contributions frame the issue but leave open questions about how graduates themselves articulate value in AI-rich contexts.

Building on this work, the present project shifts the unit of analysis from curriculum to graduates and their professional identities. By engaging alumni with HCC background, industry partners, and current students, the study generates a multi-perspective account of how HCC-related capabilities are understood, recognised, and sustained in AI-rich work environments.

 

Aim/outline

To examine how graduates with Human-Centred Computing background articulate, enact, and sustain professional value in AI-mediated work contexts.

  • How do alumni with HCC background describe their roles and sources of professional value in AI-mediated workplaces?
  • How do industry partners characterise the contribution of graduates with HCC background alongside AI-enabled systems?
  • How do current students with HCC background understand their future professional identity in light of AI developments?
  • Where do stakeholders identify boundaries, complementarities, or tensions between AI capability and human judgement, responsibility, and accountability?

URLs/references

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Hornbæk, K., Kristensson, P. O., & Oulasvirta, A. (2026). Rethinking HCI education for the era of AI. interactions. https://doi.org/10.1145/3777517 

Kharrufa, A., & Johnson, I. G. (2024). The potential and implications of generative AI on HCI education. Proceedings of the EduCHI Symposium on HCI Education. https://doi.org/10.1145/3658619.3658627

Piccolo, L. S. G., Díaz, P., Petrie, H., Salve, S., Bazargan, K., & Seffah, A. (2025). HCI education and education for HCI: Current opportunities and challenges. In Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2025. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-05008-3_68

Required knowledge

Interest in human-centred computing, HCI, or AI. Strong communication skills required. Prior coursework in HCI, UX, or qualitative research is desirable.