Theo Araujo

Prof. Theo Araujo is a Full Professor of Media, Organisations and Society at the University of Amsterdam's Department of Communication Science, and Scientific Director of the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR). He leads the Digital Data Donation Infrastructure (D3I) consortium, co-directs the Trust in the Digital Society research priority area, and is a senior researcher in the Public Values in the Algorithmic Society (AlgoSoc) program. His research focuses on AI's societal impacts, computational social science methodologies, and data donation frameworks. Key roles include coordinating multi-university initiatives and advising on digital ethics.

Research interests emphasize automated decision-making, conversational agents, and digital inequality. He has pioneered tools like the Conversational Agent Research Toolkit and OSD2F framework. His work bridges communication science with computational methods, addressing challenges in data collection, algorithmic transparency, and human-AI interaction.

Recent studies explore chatbot persuasion mechanisms, public trust in AI systems, and cross-cultural consumer behavior. He has published extensively on brand engagement, media analytics, and the ethical implications of automated systems. Current projects include smart speaker data donation studies and hybrid methods for health communication research.

Grants and collaborations involve EU-funded initiatives and partnerships with Dutch universities. His lab work focuses on developing ethical AI applications and improving digital trace data methodologies. Future directions include advancing participatory data donation practices and mitigating algorithmic biases in automated decision-making systems.