Research areas
Human-computer interaction (HCI), computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), design theory, feminist science and technology studies (STS)
Current projects
Applications of Generative AI Within Scientific Organizations: This project is in collaboration with Argonne National Lab. We use an organizational perspective to examine how AI (with a particular focus on generative AI) is shaping work internal to the national lab. The study seeks to understand how both science and operations employees are using, or conceive of using, generative AI in their work. We pay particular attention to concerns surrounding privacy, security, and ethics in this setting. This work will have implications for generative AI at work in companies, universities, and public sector organizations.
Developing Public-Facing AI Pipelines—A Climate Science Case Study: This project is also in collaboration with Argonne National Lab. In the project we investigate—and contribute to designing—how the use of AI at Argonne is shaping external relations with the public. More specifically, we are contributing to the CROCUS initiative that is developing hyper-local climate AI models designed specifically for neighborhoods in Chicago. We are collaborating with both climate scientists at Argonne as well as a neighborhood-based community organization where some of the climate sensors will be placed. We will use co-design and participatory methods to work with the community to design and build an application that makes the climate data directly useful and actionable for residents. This will contribute to understanding how organizations interface with the public when constructing data pipelines as well as the potential interfaces for precision weather to provide the right climate information, to the right person, at the right time.
Older Adults’ Perceptions of Digital Voice Assistants for Preventative Health: In this project, we are collaborating with University of Chicago Medicine researchers who are running a clinical trial testing the efficacy of using an Alexa device (with a screen) to help older adults exercise at home. We bring a human-centered lens and are interviewing the participants about their perspectives on AI and voice assistants, exercise, and health more broadly.
Publications
Wagman, K. B., Blinder, E., Song, K., Vignon, A., Dworkin, S., Clegg, T., Vitak, J. & Chetty, M. (2023). “We picked community over privacy”: Privacy and Security Concerns Emerging from Remote Learning Sociotechnical Infrastructure During COVID-19. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 7, CSCW2, Article 245. [Link]
Maris, E.,* Wagman, K. B.,* Bergmann, R. & Bragg, D. (2023). Tech Worker Perspectives on Considering the Interpersonal Implications of Communication Technologies. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 7, GROUP, Article 16. (*denotes equal contribution) [Link]
Wagman, K. B. and Lisa Parks. (2021). Beyond the Command: Feminist STS Research and Critical Issues for the Design of Social Machines. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 5, CSCW1, Article 101 (April 2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3449175 [Link]
Baym, N. K., Wagman, K. B., & Persaud, C. J. (2020). Mindfully scrolling: Rethinking Facebook after time deactivated. Social Media + Society, 6(2), 2056305120919105. doi:10.1177/2056305120919105 [Link]
Baym, N., Shifman, L., Persaud, C., & Wagman, K. B. (2019). Intelligent Failures: Clippy Memes and the Limits of Digital Assistants. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research, 2019. https://doi.org/10.5210/spir.v2019i0.10923 [Link]
Talks
Sociotechnical Thinking in Technology Design. University of Chicago Computer Science Master’s Thesis Presentation. May 2023.
Gender, Power, and Technology. Guest lecture for University of Chicago course Inclusive Technology. February 2023.
Designing Equitable Sociotechnical Systems. Invited talk at tech startup Lumos. Virtual. August 2022.
Designing Equitable Sociotechnical Systems. Guest lecture for UCSB course Media, Technology, and Society. Virtual. April 2022.
Beyond the Command: Feminist STS Research and Critical Issues for the Design of Social Machines. CSCW. Virtual. October 2021.
Relational Engineering Practices: Insights From a Feminist Data Science Lab. Society for Social Studies of Science (4S). Virtual. October 2021.
Sex, Power, and Technology: A Relational Engineering Ethos as Feminist Utopia. MIT CMS Master’s Thesis Presentations. April 2021. [Link]
Internet Infrastructure in Montana. Network Sovereignty Workshop. Virtual (originally scheduled at Blackfeet Community College in Browning, Montana). January 2021.
Ambii: An Ambient & Non-Anthropomorphic Digital Assistant. Artificial Creativity Conference. Virtual via Malmö University, Sweden. November 2020.
Mindfully Scrolling: Rethinking Facebook After Time Deactivated. Media in Transition 10. MIT in Cambridge, MA. May 2019.
Other
Betwixt and Between: How We Grow During Times of Crisis. MIT Global Media Technologies & Cultures Lab Blog. May 2020. [Link]
Thinking Beyond “The User” in Technology Design. MIT Global Media Technologies & Cultures Lab Blog. September 2019. [Link]
I worked as a Research Assistant on this study: Allcott, H., Braghieri, L., Eichmeyer, S., & Gentzkow, M. (2020). The welfare effects of social media. American Economic Review, 110(3), 629-76. [New York Times coverage of study, full paper]
The Gender Gap and Variations in Math Requirements for STEM Majors. Undergraduate research project at Brown University. 2014. [Link]