معرفی
Dr. Shane Saunderson serves as an Assistant Professor of Information Systems at McMaster University's Degroote School of Business. His interdisciplinary expertise bridges robotics, psychology, and business strategy through his leadership of the Research on Artificial Persons (RAP) Lab.
His educational background includes a PhD in robotics with psychology specialization from the University of Toronto, an MBA in technology and innovation from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a B.Eng. in mechanical engineering from McGill University. As a former Vanier Scholar and Massey College Junior Fellow, he brings significant academic distinction to his role.
Research focuses on human interactions with social machines, particularly examining trust, persuasion, and anthropomorphism in contexts involving robots, chatbots, and digital avatars. His work investigates how these artificial persons occupy a unique ontological space between objects and living beings, employing mixed-method approaches to ensure ethical technology integration. Recent publications demonstrate growing influence in human-robot interaction, with increasing emphasis on AI ethics and social implications.
- Vanier Scholar
- Junior Fellow with Massey College
Industry experience significantly shapes his academic perspective, including founding Artificial Futures (digital strategy firm), serving as VP of Technology at Idea Couture (consulting for Ford, Samsung, Eli Lilly), and supporting startups like Babbly. He chairs the Microsoft Canada Artificial Intelligence Partner Advisory Board (aiPAB), maintaining strong industry-academia connections. His RAP Lab serves as the primary research vehicle for investigating social AI implications.
