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Creators/Authors contains: "Mutlu, Bilge"

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  1. Free, publicly-accessible full text available June 23, 2026
  2. The widespread adoption of Large Language Models (LLMs) and LLM-powered agents in multi-user settings underscores the need for reliable, usable methods to accommodate diverse preferences and resolve conflicting directives. Drawing on conflict resolution theory, we introduce a user-centered workflow for multi-user personalization comprising three stages: Reflection, Analysis, and Feedback. We then present MAP—a Multi-Agent system for multi-user Personalization—to operationalize this workflow. By delegating subtasks to specialized agents, MAP (1) retrieves and reflects on relevant user information, while enhancing reliability through agent-toagent interactions, (2) provides detailed analysis for improved transparency and usability, and (3) integrates user feedback to iteratively refine results. Our user study findings (𝑛 = 12) highlight MAP’s effectiveness and usability for conflict resolution while emphasizing the importance of user involvement in resolution verification and failure management. This work highlights the potential of multi-agent systems to implement user-centered, multi-user personalization workflows and concludes by offering insights for personalization in multi-user contexts. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 25, 2026
  3. With the increasing prevalence of online learning, adapting education to diverse learner needs remains a persistent challenge. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs), promise powerful tools and capabilities to enhance personalized learning in online educational environments. In this work, we explore how LLMs can improve personalized learning experiences by catering to individual user needs toward enhancing the overall quality of online education. We designed personalization guidelines based on the growing literature on personalized learning to ground LLMs in generating tailored learning plans. To operationalize these guidelines, we implemented LearnMate, an LLM-based system that generates personalized learning plans and provides users with real-time learning support. We discuss the implications and future directions of this work, aiming to move beyond the traditional one-size-fits-all approach by integrating LLM-based personalized support into online learning environments. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 25, 2026
  4. Free, publicly-accessible full text available March 4, 2026
  5. Automated planning is traditionally the domain of experts, utilized in fields like manufacturing and healthcare with the aid of expert planning tools. Recent advancements in LLMs have made planning more accessible to everyday users due to their potential to assist users with complex planning tasks. However, LLMs face several application challenges within end-user planning, including consistency, accuracy, and user trust issues. This paper introduces VeriPlan, a system that applies formal verification techniques, specifically model checking, to enhance the reliability and flexibility of LLMs for end-user planning. In addition to the LLM planner, VeriPlan includes three additional core features—a rule translator, flexibility sliders, and a model checker—that engage users in the verification process. Through a user study (𝑛 = 12), we evaluate VeriPlan, demonstrating improvements in the perceived quality, usability, and user satisfaction of LLMs. Our work shows the effective integration of formal verification and user-control features with LLMs for end-user planning tasks. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 25, 2026
  6. Abstract ObjectiveThis Emerging Ideas report explores families' (parents and their children) uses and gratification for ChatGPT. BackgroundGenerative artificial intelligence–based conversational agents, such as ChatGPT, can be used to accomplish a variety of tasks, yet little is known about how and why parents and their children may use these technologies. MethodsWe conducted semistructured qualitative and exploratory interviews with 12 U.S.‐based families that had experience sharing a ChatGPT account. Families were recruited using social media advertisements, and at least one child and one parent joined the interview. We asked families about what they used ChatGPT for and why they used the platform. ResultsFamilies reported four main motivators for using ChatGPT: (a) information seeking, (b) enhancing productivity, (c) entertainment, and (d) social bonding. Potential barriers to use included concerns about (a) ChatGPT's credibility and capabilities, (b) being less familiar with using ChatGPT, (c) the platform's ethical implications, and (d) possible privacy risks. ConclusionFamilies use ChatGPT for various purposes, but their uses and gratifications sometimes may differ depending on their perceptions of and experiences with the platform. ImplicationsOur findings suggest that with some improvements, ChatGPT has the potential to be a useful tool for both individual and shared use in families. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available March 24, 2026
  7. Intergenerational co-creation using technology between grandparents and grandchildren can be challenging due to differences in technological familiarity. AI has emerged as a promising tool to support co-creative activities, offering flexibility and creative assistance, but its role in facilitating intergenerational connection remains underexplored. In this study, we conducted a user study with 29 grandparent-grandchild groups engaged in AI-supported story creation to examine how AI-assisted co-creation can foster meaningful intergenerational bonds. Our findings show that grandchildren managed the technical aspects, while grandparents contributed creative ideas and guided the storytelling. AI played a key role in structuring the activity, facilitating brainstorming, enhancing storytelling, and balancing the contributions of both generations. The process fostered mutual appreciation, with each generation recognizing the strengths of the other, leading to an engaging and cohesive co-creation process. We offer design implications for integrating AI into intergenerational co-creative activities, emphasizing how AI can enhance connection across skill levels and technological familiarity. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available April 25, 2026
  8. Robots, particularly in service and companionship roles, must develop positive relationships with people they interact with regularly to be successful. These positive human-robot relationships can be characterized as establishing “rapport,” which indicates mutual understanding and interpersonal connection that form the groundwork for successful long-term human-robot interaction. However, the human-robot interaction research literature lacks scale instruments to assess human-robot rapport in a variety of situations. In this work, we developed the 18-item Connection-Coordination Rapport (CCR) Scale to measure human-robot rapport. We first ran Study 1 (N = 288) where online participants rated videos of human-robot interactions using a set of candidate items. Our Study 1 results showed the discovery of two factors in our scale, which we named “Connection” and “Coordination.” We then evaluated this scale by running Study 2 (N = 201) where online participants rated a new set of human-robot interaction videos with our scale and an existing rapport scale from virtual agents research for comparison. We also validated our scale by replicating a prior in-person human-robot interaction study, Study 3 (N = 44), and found that rapport is rated significantly greater when participants interacted with a responsive robot (responsive condition) as opposed to an unresponsive robot (unresponsive condition). Results from these studies demonstrate high reliability and validity for the CCR scale, which can be used to measure rapport in both first-person and third-person perspectives. We encourage the adoption of this scale in future studies to measure rapport in a variety of human-robot interactions. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available March 4, 2026
  9. Objective: Physical and cognitive workloads and performance were studied for a corrective shared control (CSC) human–robot collaborative (HRC) sanding task. Background: Manual sanding is physically demanding. Collaborative robots (cobots) can potentially reduce physical stress, but fully autonomous implementation has been particularly challenging due to skill, task variability, and robot limitations. CSC is an HRC method where the robot operates semiautonomously while the human provides real-time corrections. Methods: Twenty laboratory participants removed paint using an orbital sander, both manually and with a CSC robot. A fully automated robot was also tested. Results: The CSC robot improved subjective discomfort compared to manual sanding in the upper arm by 29.5%, lower arm by 32%, hand by 36.5%, front of the shoulder by 24%, and back of the shoulder by 17.5%. Muscle fatigue measured using EMG, was observed in the medial deltoid and flexor carpi radialis for the manual condition. The composite cognitive workload on the NASA-TLX increased by 14.3% for manual sanding due to high physical demand and effort, while mental demand was 14% greater for the CSC robot. Digital imaging showed that the CSC robot outperformed the automated condition by 7.16% for uniformity, 4.96% for quantity, and 6.06% in total. Conclusions: In this example, we found that human skills and techniques were integral to sanding and can be successfully incorporated into HRC systems. Humans performed the task using the CSC robot with less fatigue and discomfort. Applications: The results can influence implementation of future HRC systems in manufacturing environments. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available March 1, 2026
  10. Despite advances in areas such as the personalization of robots, sustaining adoption of robots for long-term use in families remains a challenge. Recent studies have identified integrating robots into families’ routines and rituals as a promising approach to support long-term adoption. However, few studies explored the integration of robots into family routines and there is a gap in systematic measures to capture family preferences for robot integration. Building upon existing routine inventories, we developed Family-Robot Routines Inventory (FRRI), with 24 family routines and 24 child routine items, to capture parents’ attitudes toward and expectations from the integration of robotic technology into their family routines. Using this inventory, we collected data from 150 parents through an online survey. Our analysis indicates that parents had varying perceptions for the utility of integrating robots into their routines. For example, parents found robot integration to be more helpful in children’s individual routines, than to the collective routines of their families. We discuss the design implications of these preliminary findings, and how they may serve as a first step toward understanding the diverse challenges and demands of designing and integrating household robots for families. 
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