Jessica Barfield

Jessica Barfield is an Assistant Professor at the School of Information Science, University of Kentucky. Her work focuses on ethics in human-robot interaction (HRI), diversity in technology design, and the social implications of artificial intelligence. She investigates how robots' attributes like voice, appearance, and cultural identity influence user trust, bias, and societal impacts.

Her research emphasizes inclusive design principles to address racial, ethnic, and gender biases in AI systems. Key areas include self-disclosure dynamics between humans and robots, voice assistant diversity, and ethical frameworks for mitigating harm in HRI.

Recent studies explore topics such as robot colorization effects, voice switching in digital assistants, and the categorization of robots in social contexts. These projects aim to create equitable and transparent technologies that align with DEI goals.