Biography
Zhuangdi Zhu is an assistant professor at the Department of Cyber Security Engineering of George Mason University. Prior to that, she worked as a senior Data & Applied Scientist for Microsoft. I received my Ph.D. degree from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University. Her research centers around Accountable AI, through efforts in two directions: (1) advancing interactive AI to learn and reason over long horizons through principled Reinforcement Learning, and (2) decentralizing AI to the edge while balancing security, privacy, and efficiency.
SRP Project Title
Developing Engaging AI Chatbots to Enhance Senior Well-being
NAIRR Project
Developing Engaging AI Chatbots to Enhance Senior Well-being
Topical Areas
Applied Computer Science; Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems; Health Sciences
Abstract
The mental well-being of the elderly population is a growing concern. According to the World Health Organization, approximately $14\%$ of adults aged 60 and over experience mental disorders, and the issues are often compounded by loneliness and social isolation. Large Language Models (LLMs) offer a promising solution by enabling meaningful, multi-turn dialogues. Leveraging the advanced natural language processing utility of LLMs, we aim to develop an AI chatbot specifically designed for seniors. Our research goal is to create an LLM-empowered dialog system that ensures engaging conversations for senior participants, thus supporting their cognitive functions and offering accessible interaction tools alongside traditional human interviews. It also underpins research for crucial applications such as detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment and intervening in the early stages of dementia.
Desired Skills
Successfully led at least one project in a relevant domain or involving large language models (LLMs). + First-author experience in submitting research papers to leading ML/AI conferences. + Strong background in LLM-focused research programming and prompt engineering.
Lightning Talk Title
Developing AI Chatbots for Improving Cognitive Health
Keywords
Agentic AI Chatbot Cognitive Health User Study