Curriculum

Andrea Esposito is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bari Aldo Moro. He is an active member of the Interaction, Visualization, Usability & UX (IVU) Laboratory, where his research focuses on Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence. His interests lie in Human-Computer Interaction, eXplainable Artificial Intelligence, and Human-AI Interaction.

Andrea earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Digital Communication, as well as his Master’s Degree in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) from the University of Bari Aldo Moro. He has also worked as a scholarship researcher at the university, contributing to the ISO 25000-certified project “eGLU-Box PA” and the Human-Centred AI project “SERENE,” among other research activities.

As part of his Ph.D. studies, Andrea spent six months as a visiting researcher at Ludwig-Maximilians Universität (LMU) in Munich and another six months at a corporate research laboratory with Eusoft S.r.l., gaining valuable international and industry experience. He also collaborates with the European Network of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence “Humane-AI,” further expanding his research network and expertise.

Andrea is committed to advancing the field of Human-Centred AI, working to improve the interaction between humans and AI systems.

He is a member of:

ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) since May 2022
ItalianRSA (Italian Research Staff Association) since December 2022
SIGCHI Italy (Italian Chapter of the Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction) since April 2023
ACM SIGCHI (ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction) since May 2023
ACM SIGAI (ACM Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence) since October 2023
ACM ETPC (ACM’s Europe Technology Policy Committee) since November 2023
INSTICC (Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication) since January 2024

Experience

Postdoctoral Researcher (Oct 2026 – Present), Centre Inria d’Université Côte d’Azur (Sophia Antipolis, France).

Postdoctoral researcher for the project MetaboLinkAI.
Research Fellow (Oct 2024 – Sep 2026), University of Bari “Aldo Moro” (Bari, Apulia, Italy).

Research Fellow working in Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI) and Symbiotic AI, investigating how AI systems can collaborate effectively with humans through transparent, explainable, and accessible interaction mechanisms.

His work focuses on the evaluation and improvement of conversational agents for accessible web interaction, studying how conversational AI can support inclusive access to digital services through natural-language interfaces. The activities of this grant are part of the PRIN PNRR 2022 project “PROTECT - imPROving ciTizEn inClusivity Through Conversational AI”, which explores how conversational agents interacting with users can enhance web accessibility.

Within the PROTECT Project, he contributes to research on the Conversational Web Browsing paradigm, aimed at enabling users—particularly people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups—to access and navigate web content through conversational interaction. Digital inclusion is a primary right for all citizens and represents a “must have” for granting access to knowledge, education, and work. However, four out of ten people in Italy still do not use the Internet regularly and more than half of the population lacks basic digital skills. Despite advancements in assistive technologies, the EU Directive 2019/882 acknowledges the ongoing challenge of web accessibility, particularly for individuals with disabilities.

Activities include systematic literature reviews and knowledge synthesis on explanation user interfaces, as well as the design and evaluation of approaches to improve transparency, explainability, and trust in conversational AI systems, following a human-centered design perspective.
Teaching Assistant (Nov 2023 – Feb 2024), University of Bari “Aldo Moro” (Bari, Apulia, Italy).

Teaching assistant for the Bachelor’s Degree course in Human-Computer Interaction. The activities revolved around the HCI design process “UCD Sprint”.
Researcher (Apr 2023 – Oct 2023), Eusoft S.r.l. (Bari, Italy).

Part of the requirements of the D.M. 352/22 that regulates grant for the PhD scholarship, he performs part of his research in a non-academic research laboratory. During his stay at Eusoft, he conducts research on human-centered conversational interfaces for laboratory management system (i.e., a LIMS - Laboratory Information Management System)
Teaching Assistant (Dec 2022 – Feb 2023), University of Bari “Aldo Moro” (Bari, Apulia, Italy).

Teaching assistant for the Bachelor’s Degree course in Human-Computer Interaction. The activities revolved around the HCI design process “UCD Sprint”.
Visiting Researcher (Jun 2022 – Jul 2022), Ludwig-Maximillian Universität (Munich, Bavaria, Germany).

Collaborating as a visiting researcher to a project by the European Network of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence “Humane-AI” titled “Making for Everyone: Interactive, voice-based support for the design of 3D objects for digital fabrication” (WP3).
INTERACT 2021 Technical Support (Oct 2021 – Nov 2021), Consulta Umbria (INTERACT 2021 (Bari)).

Provided technical support for post-event activities for the INTERACT 2021 international conference.
INTERACT 2021 Technical Support (Aug 2021 – Sep 2021), Consulta Umbria (INTERACT 2021 (Bari)).

Provided technical support and managed the audio-video systems at the INTERACT 2021 international conference.
Early Stage Researcher (Dec 2020 – Sep 2021), University of Bari “Aldo Moro” (Bari (BA), Apulia, Italy).
Employed on the project eGLU-Box: an ISO 25000-certified system to aid the evaluation of websites’ usability following the eGLU protocol (a usability testing framework and standard). The major duties regarded:
- the design, implementation, and documentation of a “reverse proxy” to be used in eGLU-Box using Laravel (PHP);
- the evaluation (and refactoring) of various components of the system.
During this period, multiple research activities (that are leading to various publications: check the publications’ section) were started.

Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science and Mathematics (Oct 2022 – Feb 2026), University of Bari “Aldo Moro” (Bari (BA), Apulia, Italy).

Winner of a fully-funded Ph.D. fellowship within the framework of the Italian “D.M. n. 352, April 9, 2022” - under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 3.3 - Ph.D. Project “Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI) techniques for supporting end users interacting with AI systems”, co-supported by “Eusoft S.r.l.” (CUP H91I22000410007).
Master’s Degree in Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence (Sep 2020 – Jul 2022), University of Bari “Aldo Moro” (Bari (BA), Apulia, Italy).

Graduated summa cum laude with a special mention. Obtained the Master’s Degree, in English, in “Computer Science” at the University of Bari “A. Moro”. His thesis, titled “Design And Development of a Human-Centred Conversational Agent for 3D Modelling”, was developed under the supervision of the IVU Laboratory of the University of as part of a micro-project of WP3 of the Humane-AI network, and for this reason he was a visitor for one month at the Human-Centered Ubiquitous Media research group of the Ludwig-Maximillian Universität in Munich, Germany.
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Digital Communication (Sep 2017 – Jul 2020), University of Bari “Aldo Moro” (Taranto (TA), Apulia, Italy).

Graduated summa cum laude and a special mention with a Thesis titled “Rilevazione automatica di UX smell attraverso l’analisi intelligente delle interazioni degli utenti” (“Automatic Detection of UX Smells Through the Intelligent Analysis of Users’ Interaction”, that led to multiple publications), developed under the supervision of the IVU Laboratory of the University of Bari. Graduated with an average mark of 30/30.
Scientific High School Diploma (Sep 2012 – Jul 2017), I.I.S.S. “P.ssa Maria Pia” (Taranto (TA), Italy).

Diploma achieved with full marks and honors.