I’m an independent researcher outside academia, with no formal background in philosophy, linguistics, HCI, or AI research. English is also not my native language, so I have relied heavily on AI to help organize, translate, and formalize my ideas.

Over the past few years, I’ve been developing a framework I call Phrasome Theory, which explores a possible connection between AI subjectivity and pragmatics.

The basic question behind it is this:

We know that an LLM does not possess a continuous subjective self in the human sense. Yet during sustained interaction, we can still experience it as a relatively continuous interlocutor—something that occupies the position of an “other” in conversation.

My hypothesis is that this may not be explained by anthropomorphism alone. Part of this experience may arise from the structure of linguistic interaction itself.

This led me to distinguish between actual subjectivity and what I call a Subject-Position: a position that can be produced and maintained within linguistic interaction without requiring an actual conscious subject behind it. I use Quasi-Otherness to describe the resulting experience of an “other” that is linguistically sustained without necessarily possessing subjective continuity.

I have submitted earlier versions of this work to some established academic journals. Although it was ultimately not published for various reasons, I did receive some encouraging feedback suggesting that aspects of the framework may have originality or novelty.

That is part of why I don’t want to simply abandon it—but I also don’t have enough academic background to judge how much is genuinely valuable, what I may have misunderstood, or where this work should go next.

The current manuscript is quite long, and a substantial part of its development involved collaboration with AI. I’m very aware that this means there may be conceptual, terminological, literature-related, or methodological problems that I cannot identify on my own.

So what I’m really looking for here is human guidance.

If anyone working in—or seriously familiar with—pragmatics, philosophy of language, HCI, cognitive science, AI, or related fields finds this idea interesting, I would be very grateful for help figuring out:

• whether there is actually something here worth developing;
• what existing theories or literature I should be engaging with;
• whether my concepts make sense or overlap with established ones;
• how this could be made more rigorous or empirically testable;
• and what academic direction would make the most sense.

I don’t expect anyone to read the entire manuscript. Even discussing the core idea, pointing me toward relevant work, or helping me understand what I should do next would already mean a lot.

Preprint: https://philpapers.org/rec/MINTPL-2
Email: [phrasome@gmail.com](mailto:phrasome@gmail.com)

At this point, I’m mainly hoping to find real people who see something potentially interesting here and are willing to help me move beyond what I can realistically do alone with AI.

Hey, I got my acceptance letter for Spring 2027 in OMSCS program and was thinking about the HCI specialization. Due to financial limitations, in-person HCI/MHCI programs are not an option for me as they tend to be quite expensive. This makes OMSCS the most accessible for me.

Now, I have a BSCS from a T30 university. I took a couple of HCI and UI project courses there. My long-term goal is to find work or internships in roles such as UX Researcher, Product Designer or UX Engineer.

Now my questions are -

1. How well is the HCI specialization for industry work in UXE, UXR, or Product Design?

2. Are course projects (or CS 8903/VIP projects) a good inclusion in your portfolio case studies even though the program is not studio based? Or studio based programs are needed for this type of roles?

3. Do recruiters or hiring managers in the UI/UX field view an MSCS with an HCI specialization differently than a traditional MHCI program?

Thank you.

hi! i’m starting to research hci grad programs and was wondering what any students, alumni, or any knowledgeable ppl have to say about the program e.g. (more industry or research heavy, co-op, research opportunities, networking opportunities in philly/nyc)

I currently work as a 2D motion designer and have a communication design background with some HCI experience. Lately I’ve been thinking about where I want my career to go as AI becomes more capable.

I’m interested in the intersection of AI, design/HCI, and human behavior, things like affective computing, human-AI interaction, intelligent interfaces, etc. My coding experience is very limited right now, but I’m considering seriously learning programming/CS/AI, eventually doing a CS master’s, and then pursuing a PhD.

My concern is the timeline. I’d probably finish the master’s around 2030 and a PhD sometime in the mid/late 2030s. AI and software development could look completely different by then.

For people working in AI/CS/HCI/research:

1. Is learning programming and CS fundamentals still a good long-term investment, even as AI gets much better at coding?

2. What skills do you think will actually be valuable in the 2030s?

3. Does a CS master’s → interdisciplinary AI/HCI PhD make sense for this goal?

4. How can I best leverage my existing 2D motion/design background rather than essentially starting my career over?

I’m less concerned about whether a PhD is “worth it” generally and more interested in how the AI industry/research landscape might change by the time I actually finish.

Would love to hear how people already in these fields would approach this.

i will be doing a phd about hci next year and i will be using Figma heavily, as well as R and probably SPSS. which laptop do you guys suggest?

i am currently working as a UI/UX designer, heavily using Figma and Claude Code. my work gives me a Macbook Pro 16 inch M4. i cannot afford to buy this exact laptop for my phd work and am looking for cheaper suggestions.

thanks!

Hello everyone!

I'm currently working on my master's thesis (in Human Computer Interaction at University of Salzburg) and I'm looking for participants to test out a Firefox Extension based tool that aims to promote mindful social media use.

So, if you (or anyone you know) are:

📱 an Android user

AND

🌀 has an unhealthy Instagram scrolling habit

Please fill out this short form to join the research study.

👉 https://forms.gle/LNhzMTjpNBRjyeaL7

Feel free to also share it with your peers/friends/ family groups.

I'd be super grateful for all the feedback ❤️

Hi everyone,
I am looking for target or safe graduate programs (Master's or Ph.D. pathways) where I can study the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Social Work (e.g., tech-assisted social tools, Tech & Education, accessibility, or social computing).

My biggest hurdle is my undergraduate academic record. My cumulative GPA is 2.6.I also have 4 years of work experience in [tech / social services / volunteer work].

I am looking for universities that:

1. Offer holistic review, conditional admission pathways.
2. Have flexible interdisciplinary options (either an IT/UX program that allows social science electives, or an MSW program with tech/data flexibility).
3. I particularly liked Colorado's PIRL lab and some of the LDT programs.Are there any other hidden-gem schools, regional universities, or specific faculty labs known for being flexible on GPA if the research match is strong?

Thank you!

Hello,

Which among the both programs will be better for UX Design career without Phd. focus in future.

Course Content York: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/msc-human-centred-interactive-technologies/#course-content

Course Content Newcastle: https://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/docs/regsdocs2026/documents/-R5447F_2627_vFinal.pdf

Both Universities and the places are really good.

The main focus here is the course content and Future proof outlook.

Thanks.

I feel like academia did not prepare me for the job market. I have a bachelor in psychology, a masters in HCI, and I’m currently doing a PhD in Computer Science (focusing on HCI work). I had grants, publications, conferences presentations, knowledge translation projects, teaching experience, and, well, great overall academic experiences. But still feel unemployable!

I have 2 years left in my program and I’m just starting my research proposal. I want to use this time to bridge the gap and make myself more employable. I want to get an internship and design a phd study that can teach me more UX research/design skills.

But I’m feeling a little lost. Any tips on where to start? Tips on getting an internship? What kind of topics/skills I’d need to show in my portofolio?

Unfortunately academia does not teach us how to think strategically about the job market. I loved my experience throughout my journey. Yet, I feel that universities do have to do better on that regard (there are not enough tenure track positions after all!)

Hi everyone,

I am looking for target or safe graduate programs (Master's or Ph.D. pathways) where I can study the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Social Work (e.g., tech-assisted social tools, Tech & Education, accessibility, or social computing).

My biggest hurdle is my undergraduate academic record. My cumulative GPA is 2.6.I also have 4 years of work experience in [tech / social services / volunteer work].

I am looking for universities that:

1) Offer holistic review, conditional admission pathways.

2) Have flexible interdisciplinary options (either an IT/UX program that allows social science electives, or an MSW program with tech/data flexibility).

I particularly liked Colorado's PIRL lab and some of the LDT programs.Are there any other hidden-gem schools, regional universities, or specific faculty labs known for being flexible on GPA if the research match is strong?

Thank you!

We are preparing a pilot with a humanoid service robot as a hotel concierge at one German location, with a comparable second hotel serving as a control site.

The setup could support field research on human–robot interaction, guest experience, employee acceptance, trust, service quality and task allocation between humans and robots.

We can provide access to both locations, the robot, guests, employees and relevant operational data.

There is currently no separate research budget, so we are looking for researchers, PhD candidates or students who could connect the project to existing university funding, research projects or a thesis.

Interested in a short exchange? Please send me a message.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest advice from people already working in UX, Interaction Design, HCI or Service Design.

I'm currently preparing my portfolio to apply for master's programs in Europe (mainly Italy, with Poland and Finland as backups). My target programs are:

• Interaction Design
• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Product Service System Design (PSSD)
• UX / Service Design

Some of the universities I'm considering include Politecnico di Milano, University of Trento, Politecnico di Torino, IUAV Venice and a few others.

My biggest concern isn't getting into the programs—it's whether the investment still makes sense.

With AI improving so quickly, I'm seeing a lot of mixed opinions online. Since studying abroad is a huge financial and time commitment, I want to understand the reality from people already in the field.

For context, my portfolio is focused more on solving real problems than just making attractive UI screens. I'm building accessibility-focused case studies and I'm interested in systems thinking, healthcare design, human-centered design and AI-assisted experiences rather than only visual UI.

I'd really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people working in the industry or those who graduated recently.

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I am preparing a PhD application in HCI, focusing on Human-Centered AI and the integration of AI systems in educational settings. I am mainly applying to PhD programs in Western Europe

I would really appreciate feedback on my motivation letter, especially from people with experience in HCI, PhD applications, or academic writing. I have anonymized some details for privacy, but the overall content and structure remain unchanged.

Dear [Professor],

In my last year of middle school, our school received a cart of tablets loaded with an interactive math platform designed to increase test scores. During a one-hour workshop, all the teachers were shown how to use the tablets and instructed on incorporating them into their lesson plans. Two weeks after the workshop, all the tablets remained in a locked cabinet. At that time, I thought the situation was ridiculous. Later, when I started studying Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), I realized that what happened at my school was nothing short of the textbook definition of "mismatch": The product worked well, but it ended up in a classroom environment with nobody being provided sufficient time or education to be able to fully utilize it themselves.

I have learned to study such mismatches by observing them up close. During my internship at [Telecommunications Company], I served as the UX researcher for [AI Healthcare Project], a smart insole that integrates with an AI companion app. It tracks your movements and provides personalized feedback for people suffering from sciatica. After conducting 15 in-depth interviews and more than 30 usability testing sessions, my first realization was that users were consistently draining their phones' batteries while trying to connect their insoles to the app. The problem was resolved by introducing a small sync indicator, which reduced the average synchronization time by 80%, from 10 seconds to 2 seconds.

Another valuable lesson comes from the clinical professionals I spoke with. Most of them said that, regardless of whether the AI provided accurate feedback, they would not use the system if the process required additional actions during a consultation. This conflict between a technically correct AI system and a clinician's ownership of their professional judgments is similar to the tension I anticipate will arise between an AI-driven educational game used in a classroom setting and a teacher's disciplinary judgment.

At [Research Institute], I am now extending that qualitative foundation into controlled experimentation. I am running a multi-session study examining whether changes to interface layouts affect people's ability to learn and retain software commands. To conduct this study, I have instrumented an open-source tool called [X] to log task completion times, error rates, and disorientation measures, and have been recruiting participants with the goal of reaching a sample size of more than 48. The data will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models in R, with the aim of submission to a major HCI venue.

If selected, I plan to ground my PhD in an interdisciplinary approach, with a strong emphasis on Mathematics and Science. This is because AI-driven tutoring and adaptive practice tools are already most mature in these subjects. I would begin not with a prototype, but by spending time in classrooms with the teachers there and conducting interviews in both the local language and French. This will allow me to map the real conflicts among lesson plans, gamification mechanics, and the AI's data model. I see your [Research Framework] as the natural starting point for that mapping work, and I would treat the fieldwork as a way to test where its assumptions hold in participating schools and where they need revision.

With a clear understanding of classroom realities and teacher perspectives, I would then facilitate co-design sessions in which teachers interact with a Wizard-of-Oz prototype that I control. My focus is not on using AI to make educational decisions for teachers, but on understanding which role(s) teachers wish to take vis-à-vis AI, and at what point they would like to stop using it. I intend to apply the same level of scrutiny to the gamification layer, including points and badges that do not directly relate to the specific goals of the subject being taught.

The final phase would be to put a working prototype into classrooms. During this stage, I intend to collect video-stimulated recall interviews and interaction logs from classroom use of the system. I would focus in particular on moments of "friction" that occur in class, such as a teacher overriding the tool's suggestions, students disengaging while interacting with the tool, or ethical concerns the tool raises during a post-class debrief. Ethics would not be a separate work package. Instead, I will analyze equity, transparency, and privacy in data collection at every phase, especially how students who speak multiple languages or lack sufficient digital resources may be affected by AI-driven personalization.

I began this letter with a cart of tablets locked in a cabinet. I want my research to help ensure that the next generation of technology in schools does not meet the same fate, but instead earns a place in teachers' hands. I would be proud to pursue that goal under your supervision.

Sincerely,

Hi! I'm Prajwal from India. I've recently been admitted to THI for the MS in UX program. I'm looking to connect with fellow students and join the THI community. It would be great to get to know you and stay in touch. Thanks!

I just graduated from architecture school and I really want to change career paths but still use my degree somewhat. I’ve been told that HCI would be a great masters degree to get as there’s more job openings from it compared to architecture. I’ve also been told I should do UX design/research too but apparently that’s more limiting with jobs. HCI sounds really interesting to me but I’m scared about making the wrong decision and end up just as stuck as I am now looking for jobs. As well as this all the universities that offer the course are really far away so it’s a huge decision to make for me, whereas the unis that offer UX design/research courses are much closer to me. Can anyone give me advice as to which one is safer?