pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement of Machine Companionship: A Scoping Review
Authors: Jaime Banks, Zhixin Li
Date: 2025-06-22 00:00:00

The notion of machine companions has long been embedded in social-technological imaginaries. Recent advances in AI have moved those media musings into believable sociality manifested in interfaces, robotic bodies, and devices. Those machines are often referred to colloquially as "companions" yet there is little careful engagement of machine companionship (MC) as a formal concept or measured variable. This PRISMA-guided scoping review systematically samples, surveys, and synthesizes current scholarly works on MC (N = 71; 2017-2025), to that end. Works varied widely in considerations of MC according to guiding theories, dimensions of a-priori specified properties (subjectively positive, sustained over time, co-active, autotelic), and in measured concepts (with more than 50 distinct measured variables). WE ultimately offer a literature-guided definition of MC as an autotelic, coordinated connection between human and machine that unfolds over time and is subjectively positive.
When concept-based XAI is imprecise: Do people distinguish between generalisations and misrepresentations?
Authors: Romy Müller
Date: 2025-06-22 00:00:00
Tasks: Explainable artificial intelligence

Concept-based explainable artificial intelligence (C-XAI) can help reveal the inner representations of AI models. Understanding these representations is particularly important in complex tasks like safety evaluation. Such tasks rely on high-level semantic information (e.g., about actions) to make decisions about abstract categories (e.g., whether a situation is dangerous). In this context, it may desirable for C-XAI concepts to show some variability, suggesting that the AI is capable of generalising beyond the concrete details of a situation. However, it is unclear whether people recognise and appreciate such generalisations and can distinguish them from other, less desirable forms of imprecision. This was investigated in an experimental railway safety scenario. Participants evaluated the performance of a simulated AI that evaluated whether traffic scenes involving people were dangerous. To explain these decisions, the AI provided concepts in the form of similar image snippets. These concepts differed in their match with the classified image, either regarding a highly relevant feature (i.e., relation to tracks) or a less relevant feature (i.e., actions). Contrary to the hypotheses, concepts that generalised over less relevant features led to ratings that were lower than for precisely matching concepts and comparable to concepts that systematically misrepresented these features. Conversely, participants were highly sensitive to imprecisions in relevant features. These findings cast doubts on whether people spontaneously recognise generalisations. Accordingly, they might not be able to infer from C-XAI concepts whether AI models have gained a deeper understanding of complex situations.
Reflective Verbal Reward Design for Pluralistic Alignment
Authors: Carter Blair, Kate Larson, Edith Law
Date: 2025-06-21 00:00:00
Tasks: Language Modeling, Language Modelling

AI agents are commonly aligned with "human values" through reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), where a single reward model is learned from aggregated human feedback and used to align an agent's behavior. However, human values are not homogeneous--different people hold distinct and sometimes conflicting values. Aggregating feedback into a single reward model risks disproportionately suppressing minority preferences. To address this, we present a novel reward modeling approach for learning individualized reward models. Our approach uses a language model to guide users through reflective dialogues where they critique agent behavior and construct their preferences. This personalized dialogue history, containing the user's reflections and critiqued examples, is then used as context for another language model that serves as an individualized reward function (what we call a "verbal reward model") for evaluating new trajectories. In studies with 30 participants, our method achieved a 9-12% improvement in accuracy over non-reflective verbal reward models while being more sample efficient than traditional supervised learning methods.
The Role of Explanation Styles and Perceived Accuracy on Decision Making in Predictive Process Monitoring
Authors: Soobin Chae, Suhwan Lee, Hanna Hauptmann, Hajo A. Reijers, Xixi Lu
Date: 2025-06-19 00:00:00
Tasks: counterfactual, Decision Making, Feature Importance, Predictive Process Monitoring

Predictive Process Monitoring (PPM) often uses deep learning models to predict the future behavior of ongoing processes, such as predicting process outcomes. While these models achieve high accuracy, their lack of interpretability undermines user trust and adoption. Explainable AI (XAI) aims to address this challenge by providing the reasoning behind the predictions. However, current evaluations of XAI in PPM focus primarily on functional metrics (such as fidelity), overlooking user-centered aspects such as their effect on task performance and decision-making. This study investigates the effects of explanation styles (feature importance, rule-based, and counterfactual) and perceived AI accuracy (low or high) on decision-making in PPM. We conducted a decision-making experiment, where users were presented with the AI predictions, perceived accuracy levels, and explanations of different styles. Users' decisions were measured both before and after receiving explanations, allowing the assessment of objective metrics (Task Performance and Agreement) and subjective metrics (Decision Confidence). Our findings show that perceived accuracy and explanation style have a significant effect.
Do We Talk to Robots Like Therapists, and Do They Respond Accordingly? Language Alignment in AI Emotional Support
Authors: Sophie Chiang, Guy Laban, Hatice Gunes
Date: 2025-06-19 00:00:00
Tasks: Large Language Model, Sentence Embeddings

As conversational agents increasingly engage in emotionally supportive dialogue, it is important to understand how closely their interactions resemble those in traditional therapy settings. This study investigates whether the concerns shared with a robot align with those shared in human-to-human (H2H) therapy sessions, and whether robot responses semantically mirror those of human therapists. We analyzed two datasets: one of interactions between users and professional therapists (Hugging Face's NLP Mental Health Conversations), and another involving supportive conversations with a social robot (QTrobot from LuxAI) powered by a large language model (LLM, GPT-3.5). Using sentence embeddings and K-means clustering, we assessed cross-agent thematic alignment by applying a distance-based cluster-fitting method that evaluates whether responses from one agent type map to clusters derived from the other, and validated it using Euclidean distances. Results showed that 90.88% of robot conversation disclosures could be mapped to clusters from the human therapy dataset, suggesting shared topical structure. For matched clusters, we compared the subjects as well as therapist and robot responses using Transformer, Word2Vec, and BERT embeddings, revealing strong semantic overlap in subjects' disclosures in both datasets, as well as in the responses given to similar human disclosure themes across agent types (robot vs. human therapist). These findings highlight both the parallels and boundaries of robot-led support conversations and their potential for augmenting mental health interventions.
WebXAII: an open-source web framework to study human-XAI interaction
Authors: Jules Leguy, Pierre-Antoine Jean, Felipe Torres Figueroa, Sébastien Harispe
Date: 2025-05-16 00:00:00
Tasks: Explainable artificial intelligence, Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)

This article introduces WebXAII, an open-source web framework designed to facilitate research on human interaction with eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) systems. The field of XAI is rapidly expanding, driven by the growing societal implications of the widespread adoption of AI (and in particular machine learning) across diverse applications. Researchers who study the interaction between humans and XAI techniques typically develop ad hoc interfaces in order to conduct their studies. These interfaces are usually not shared alongside the results of the studies, which limits their reusability and the reproducibility of experiments. In response, we design and implement WebXAII, a web-based platform that can embody full experimental protocols, meaning that it can present all aspects of the experiment to human participants and record their responses. The experimental protocols are translated into a composite architecture of generic views and modules, which offers a lot of flexibility. The architecture is defined in a structured configuration file, so that protocols can be implemented with minimal programming skills. We demonstrate that WebXAII can effectively embody relevant protocols, by reproducing the protocol of a state-of-the-art study of the literature.
Optimizing Multilingual Text-To-Speech with Accents & Emotions
Authors: Pranav Pawar, Akshansh Dwivedi, Jenish Boricha, Himanshu Gohil, Aditya Dubey
Date: 2025-06-19 00:00:00
Tasks: Disentanglement, Emotion Recognition, text-to-speech, Text to Speech, Transliteration

State-of-the-art text-to-speech (TTS) systems realize high naturalness in monolingual environments, synthesizing speech with correct multilingual accents (especially for Indic languages) and context-relevant emotions still poses difficulty owing to cultural nuance discrepancies in current frameworks. This paper introduces a new TTS architecture integrating accent along with preserving transliteration with multi-scale emotion modelling, in particularly tuned for Hindi and Indian English accent. Our approach extends the Parler-TTS model by integrating A language-specific phoneme alignment hybrid encoder-decoder architecture, and culture-sensitive emotion embedding layers trained on native speaker corpora, as well as incorporating a dynamic accent code switching with residual vector quantization. Quantitative tests demonstrate 23.7% improvement in accent accuracy (Word Error Rate reduction from 15.4% to 11.8%) and 85.3% emotion recognition accuracy from native listeners, surpassing METTS and VECL-TTS baselines. The novelty of the system is that it can mix code in real time - generating statements such as "Namaste, let's talk about <Hindi phrase>" with uninterrupted accent shifts while preserving emotional consistency. Subjective evaluation with 200 users reported a mean opinion score (MOS) of 4.2/5 for cultural correctness, much better than existing multilingual systems (p<0.01). This research makes cross-lingual synthesis more feasible by showcasing scalable accent-emotion disentanglement, with direct application in South Asian EdTech and accessibility software.
On using AI for EEG-based BCI applications: problems, current challenges and future trends
Authors: Thomas Barbera, Jacopo Burger, Alessandro D'Amelio, Simone Zini, Simone Bianco, Raffaella Lanzarotti, Paolo Napoletano, Giuseppe Boccignone, Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal
Date: 2025-06-19 00:00:00
Tasks: EEG

Imagine unlocking the power of the mind to communicate, create, and even interact with the world around us. Recent breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially in how machines "see" and "understand" language, are now fueling exciting progress in decoding brain signals from scalp electroencephalography (EEG). Prima facie, this opens the door to revolutionary brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) designed for real life, moving beyond traditional uses to envision Brain-to-Speech, Brain-to-Image, and even a Brain-to-Internet of Things (BCIoT). However, the journey is not as straightforward as it was for Computer Vision (CV) and Natural Language Processing (NLP). Applying AI to real-world EEG-based BCIs, particularly in building powerful foundational models, presents unique and intricate hurdles that could affect their reliability. Here, we unfold a guided exploration of this dynamic and rapidly evolving research area. Rather than barely outlining a map of current endeavors and results, the goal is to provide a principled navigation of this hot and cutting-edge research landscape. We consider the basic paradigms that emerge from a causal perspective and the attendant challenges presented to AI-based models. Looking ahead, we then discuss promising research avenues that could overcome today's technological, methodological, and ethical limitations. Our aim is to lay out a clear roadmap for creating truly practical and effective EEG-based BCI solutions that can thrive in everyday environments.
Efficient Retail Video Annotation: A Robust Key Frame Generation Approach for Product and Customer Interaction Analysis
Authors: Varun Mannam, Zhenyu Shi
Date: 2025-06-17 00:00:00
Tasks: Activity Recognition

Accurate video annotation plays a vital role in modern retail applications, including customer behavior analysis, product interaction detection, and in-store activity recognition. However, conventional annotation methods heavily rely on time-consuming manual labeling by human annotators, introducing non-robust frame selection and increasing operational costs. To address these challenges in the retail domain, we propose a deep learning-based approach that automates key-frame identification in retail videos and provides automatic annotations of products and customers. Our method leverages deep neural networks to learn discriminative features by embedding video frames and incorporating object detection-based techniques tailored for retail environments. Experimental results showcase the superiority of our approach over traditional methods, achieving accuracy comparable to human annotator labeling while enhancing the overall efficiency of retail video annotation. Remarkably, our approach leads to an average of 2 times cost savings in video annotation. By allowing human annotators to verify/adjust less than 5% of detected frames in the video dataset, while automating the annotation process for the remaining frames without reducing annotation quality, retailers can significantly reduce operational costs. The automation of key-frame detection enables substantial time and effort savings in retail video labeling tasks, proving highly valuable for diverse retail applications such as shopper journey analysis, product interaction detection, and in-store security monitoring.
Veracity: An Open-Source AI Fact-Checking System
Authors: Taylor Lynn Curtis, Maximilian Puelma Touzel, William Garneau, Manon Gruaz, Mike Pinder, Li Wei Wang, Sukanya Krishna, Luda Cohen, Jean-François Godbout, Reihaneh Rabbany, Kellin Pelrine
Date: 2025-06-18 00:00:00
Tasks: Fact Checking, Misinformation, Retrieval

The proliferation of misinformation poses a significant threat to society, exacerbated by the capabilities of generative AI. This demo paper introduces Veracity, an open-source AI system designed to empower individuals to combat misinformation through transparent and accessible fact-checking. Veracity leverages the synergy between Large Language Models (LLMs) and web retrieval agents to analyze user-submitted claims and provide grounded veracity assessments with intuitive explanations. Key features include multilingual support, numerical scoring of claim veracity, and an interactive interface inspired by familiar messaging applications. This paper will showcase Veracity's ability to not only detect misinformation but also explain its reasoning, fostering media literacy and promoting a more informed society.
Optimizing Web-Based AI Query Retrieval with GPT Integration in LangChain A CoT-Enhanced Prompt Engineering Approach
Authors: Wenqi Guan, Yang Fang
Date: 2025-06-18 00:00:00
Tasks: Prompt Engineering, Retrieval

Large Language Models have brought a radical change in the process of remote learning students, among other aspects of educative activities. Current retrieval of remote learning resources lacks depth in contextual meaning that provides comprehensive information on complex student queries. This work proposes a novel approach to enhancing remote learning retrieval by integrating GPT-based models within the LangChain framework. We achieve this system in a more intuitive and productive manner using CoT reasoning and prompt engineering. The framework we propose puts much emphasis on increasing the precision and relevance of the retrieval results to return comprehensive and contextually enriched explanations and resources that best suit each student's needs. We also assess the effectiveness of our approach against paradigmatic LLMs and report improvements in user satisfaction and learning outcomes.
Co-Creative Learning via Metropolis-Hastings Interaction between Humans and AI
Authors: Ryota Okumura, Tadahiro Taniguchi, Akira Taniguchi, Yoshinobu Hagiwara
Date: 2025-06-18 00:00:00
Tasks: Bayesian Inference, Transfer Learning

We propose co-creative learning as a novel paradigm where humans and AI, i.e., biological and artificial agents, mutually integrate their partial perceptual information and knowledge to construct shared external representations, a process we interpret as symbol emergence. Unlike traditional AI teaching based on unilateral knowledge transfer, this addresses the challenge of integrating information from inherently different modalities. We empirically test this framework using a human-AI interaction model based on the Metropolis-Hastings naming game (MHNG), a decentralized Bayesian inference mechanism. In an online experiment, 69 participants played a joint attention naming game (JA-NG) with one of three computer agent types (MH-based, always-accept, or always-reject) under partial observability. Results show that human-AI pairs with an MH-based agent significantly improved categorization accuracy through interaction and achieved stronger convergence toward a shared sign system. Furthermore, human acceptance behavior aligned closely with the MH-derived acceptance probability. These findings provide the first empirical evidence for co-creative learning emerging in human-AI dyads via MHNG-based interaction. This suggests a promising path toward symbiotic AI systems that learn with humans, rather than from them, by dynamically aligning perceptual experiences, opening a new venue for symbiotic AI alignment.
PRAISE: Enhancing Product Descriptions with LLM-Driven Structured Insights
Authors: Adnan Qidwai, Srija Mukhopadhyay, Prerana Khatiwada, Dan Roth, Vivek Gupta
Date: 2025-06-18 00:00:00
Tasks: Attribute, Persuasiveness

Accurate and complete product descriptions are crucial for e-commerce, yet seller-provided information often falls short. Customer reviews offer valuable details but are laborious to sift through manually. We present PRAISE: Product Review Attribute Insight Structuring Engine, a novel system that uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to automatically extract, compare, and structure insights from customer reviews and seller descriptions. PRAISE provides users with an intuitive interface to identify missing, contradictory, or partially matching details between these two sources, presenting the discrepancies in a clear, structured format alongside supporting evidence from reviews. This allows sellers to easily enhance their product listings for clarity and persuasiveness, and buyers to better assess product reliability. Our demonstration showcases PRAISE's workflow, its effectiveness in generating actionable structured insights from unstructured reviews, and its potential to significantly improve the quality and trustworthiness of e-commerce product catalogs.
Accessible Gesture-Driven Augmented Reality Interaction System
Authors: Yikan Wang
Date: 2025-06-18 00:00:00
Tasks: Federated Learning, Gesture Recognition, Graph Attention, Privacy Preserving

Augmented reality (AR) offers immersive interaction but remains inaccessible for users with motor impairments or limited dexterity due to reliance on precise input methods. This study proposes a gesture-based interaction system for AR environments, leveraging deep learning to recognize hand and body gestures from wearable sensors and cameras, adapting interfaces to user capabilities. The system employs vision transformers (ViTs), temporal convolutional networks (TCNs), and graph attention networks (GATs) for gesture processing, with federated learning ensuring privacy-preserving model training across diverse users. Reinforcement learning optimizes interface elements like menu layouts and interaction modes. Experiments demonstrate a 20% improvement in task completion efficiency and a 25% increase in user satisfaction for motor-impaired users compared to baseline AR systems. This approach enhances AR accessibility and scalability. Keywords: Deep learning, Federated learning, Gesture recognition, Augmented reality, Accessibility, Human-computer interaction
An Empirical Study of Bugs in Data Visualization Libraries
Authors: Weiqi Lu, Yongqiang Tian, Xiaohan Zhong, Haoyang Ma, Zhenyang Xu, Shing-Chi Cheung, Chengnian Sun
Date: 2025-06-18 00:00:00
Tasks: Data Visualization, Decision Making

Data visualization (DataViz) libraries play a crucial role in presentation, data analysis, and application development, underscoring the importance of their accuracy in transforming data into visual representations. Incorrect visualizations can adversely impact user experience, distort information conveyance, and influence user perception and decision-making processes. Visual bugs in these libraries can be particularly insidious as they may not cause obvious errors like crashes, but instead mislead users of the underlying data graphically, resulting in wrong decision making. Consequently, a good understanding of the unique characteristics of bugs in DataViz libraries is essential for researchers and developers to detect and fix bugs in DataViz libraries. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of bugs in DataViz libraries, examining 564 bugs collected from five widely-used libraries. Our study systematically analyzes their symptoms and root causes, and provides a detailed taxonomy. We found that incorrect/inaccurate plots are pervasive in DataViz libraries and incorrect graphic computation is the major root cause, which necessitates further automated testing methods for DataViz libraries. Moreover, we identified eight key steps to trigger such bugs and two test oracles specific to DataViz libraries, which may inspire future research in designing effective automated testing techniques. Furthermore, with the recent advancements in Vision Language Models (VLMs), we explored the feasibility of applying these models to detect incorrect/inaccurate plots. The results show that the effectiveness of VLMs in bug detection varies from 29% to 57%, depending on the prompts, and adding more information in prompts does not necessarily increase the effectiveness. More findings can be found in our manuscript.