WASP-HS will fund the creation of four research groups to further advance research on artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact on humanity and society. More than 40 million SEK has been allocated to support these groups over a five-year period.
Starting in October 2025, four WASP-HS research groups will work to create interdisciplinary research environments for postdoctoral researchers and guest researchers. They will also strengthen the impact of WASP-HS research internationally. In total, over 40 million SEK is allocated to the research groups that will span over the coming five years.
The Research Groups
Read more about each research group below.
Child Development in the Age of AI and Social Robots
This research group explores how children develop in interaction with AI systems like social robots and autonomous agents, considering diverse age groups and ecological contexts. By integrating expertise from psychology, education, ethics, and AI policy, the group aims to build long-term knowledge that empowers future generations to engage critically and ethically with AI technologies, while positioning Sweden as a leader in humanities and social science research on autonomous systems.
Research group leaders:
Ginevra Castellano, Professor in Intelligent Interactive Systems, Uppsala University
Olov Engwall, Professor in Speech Communication, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Helena Lindgren, Professor of Computing Science, Umeå University
Tom Ziemke, Professor in Cognitive Systems, Human-Centered Systems, Linköping University
Autonomous Systems and Robotics in Society
This research group focuses on human-centered and movement-aware approaches to autonomous systems and robotics, exploring how interaction dynamics affect consent, touch, proximity, and shared space in human-robot relations. The group investigates the impact of robots on care, labor, and interpersonal relationships, while fostering international collaboration, mentoring early-career researchers, and strengthening the WASP-HS community as a bridge between social sciences and technical innovation.
Research group leaders:
Madeline Balaam, Professor in Interaction Design, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Airi Lampinen,Associate Professor in Human–Computer Interaction, Stockholm University
Hannah Pelikan, Assistant Professor in Language and Culture, Linköping University
Katie Winkle, Assistant Professor, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University
Synthetic Data: Facts, Representations, and Transparency
This research group investigates the generation, use, and societal impact of synthetic data — AI-generated representations of the world — through an interdisciplinary platform spanning the social sciences and humanities. By combining critical algorithm studies, computational experiments, and intersectional analysis, the group develops vocabularies, methods, and infrastructure to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and ethical integration of synthetic data, while fostering collaboration across Swedish universities and Wallenberg programs.
Research group leaders:
Francis Lee, Professor of Media Technology, Södertörn University
Ericka Johnson, Professor of Gender and Society, Linköping University
Ylva Söderfeldt, Associate Professor, Department of History of Science and Ideas, Uppsala University
Agentic AI for Humanistic Futures: Reimagining Research with Autonomous Systems
This research group explores how autonomous AI systems can transform epistemic practices in the Humanities and Social Sciences. By integrating cognitive modeling, affective computing, and computational sociology, the group builds WASP-HS capacity through postdoctoral training, international collaboration, and interdisciplinary innovation in human-centered AI.
Research group leaders:
Anna Dreber Almenberg, Professor of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics
Christian Balkenius, Professor, Cognitive Science, Lund University
Daniel Västfjäll, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Linköping University
