Portrait of Xiang ‘Anthony’ Chen — HCI, human–AI interaction, interactive systems

Xiang ‘Anthony’ Chen

Associate Professor
ECE & CS Departments, UCLA
UCLA HCI Research

Symbiotic Computing to Augment Expert Workflows

Computing that merely automates expert work risks bypassing the human thinking that makes it valuable.

I study, design, and build interactive systems that embed computing symbiotically into expert workflows to augment human creativity and discovery.

These systems support how experts reframe problems, form hypotheses, and explore alternatives—rather than replacing those processes.

Research

Currently my work focuses on two domains: creativity and scientific discovery.

Creativity. Systems that support exploration, iteration, and comparison in creative work—helping people navigate large idea spaces rather than converge too early on a single output.

Discovery. Systems for navigating hypothesis spaces and coordinating validation—supporting how scientists generate, test, and refine ideas across digital and physical workflows.

Methodology: I study real expert workflows, build systems grounded in them, and evaluate how they change process and outcome.

Collaborate

I collaborate with research groups and product teams. Typical engagements include invited talks, small-group workshops, and research collaborations—focused on how systems should support expert workflow, not just automate it.

For collaboration or speaking inquiries, email xac@ucla.edu.

For academic advising or internship opportunities, see UCLA HCI.

Support includes NSF CAREER, ONR YIP, Google Research Scholar Award, Intel Rising Star Award, Hellman Fellowship, and NSF CRII.