Elena Minucci
My name is Elena Minucci and i am a PhD student on the Social AI CDT, supervised by Simone Strumpf and Martin Lages. My PhD project focuses on building a persuasive AI to help people adopt more sustainable lifestyles. I chose this project because I am passionate about researching ways to bridge the belief-behaviour gap around sustainable habits, and I am fascinated by the potential of AI in producing behaviour change interventions which are both individually tailored and scalable.
Prior to my PhD studies, I undertook a BA in Psychology and an MSc in Marketing at the University of Strathclyde, where I cultivated an interest in persuasion theories and their applications in real-world contexts. This culminated in my recent MSc dissertation exploring how different conspicuous symbols in advertising persuade different demographics to consume less.
In-between my studies, I worked as a Marketing Co-ordinator for a Scottish SME specialising in circular and AI-integrated lighting. Through this experience, I got acquainted with common barriers to adoption of sustainable systems, as well as some of the opportunities and challenges concerning human centred technology in business settings. Through my PhD studies, I look forward to building on this knowledge by exploring how interactive agents can help users make choices based on their individual preferences, circumstances, and motivations.