Research

From intuition to inquiry.

Building Unburden made me realise that good intentions are not enough. If I wanted to design technology for children experiencing bullying, I needed to understand behaviour, evidence, ethics, and the limitations of my own assumptions.

Research Focus

My work explores questions at the intersection of:

  • Human-computer interaction
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Behavioural science
  • Child-centred technology
  • Emotional wellbeing
  • Responsible design

I am particularly interested in how technology can support vulnerable users without oversimplifying their experiences.

2025–Present

Independent research

Mentorship of Dr. Robert Chun, PhD (UCLA)

I am conducting independent research on artificial intelligence and AI chatbots — analysing scholarly literature on advancements, applications, and ethical considerations. The process has challenged me to move beyond having an interesting idea and instead define a focused research question, engage critically with existing literature, examine methodology, interpret evidence, and communicate findings with precision.

One of my most important learnings is that research is not about proving what you already believe. It is about being willing to discover that your assumptions may be incomplete.

This mentorship produced my first published paper, on AI approaches to cyberbullying detection.

November 2025 · Published

Investigating the Use of AI to Detect Cyberbullying

Agastya Desai — International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT)
Volume 10, Issue 11 · Article Digital No. IJISRT25NOV532

This paper examines whether artificial intelligence can help identify harmful online interactions and support earlier recognition of cyberbullying — while considering how technology can interpret human behaviour without losing sight of context, ambiguity, and emotion. It strengthened my interest in the intersection of artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, and behavioural science.

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