Koen Hindriks is Professor of Social Artificial Intelligence at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and head of the Social AI Lab (SAIL). His research focuses on Social AI: conversational agents, social robots, and other AI systems that interact with people in natural, meaningful, and responsible ways. Combining artificial intelligence with insights from psychology and cognitive science, he develops trustworthy, human-centred AI systems that genuinely support people.
His research includes applications in education, healthcare, and retail. A distinctive aspect of his work is the evaluation of Social AI in real-world settings, for example by deploying social robots as shopping assistants that help customers make informed purchasing decisions. He is also researching conversational AI for mental health, investigating how AI can support reflection, behaviour change, and psychological well-being.
