Three peer reviewed papers by members of our team were presented at CONVERSATIONS 2025–9th International Workshop on Chatbots and Human-Centred AI. Hosted at TH Lübeck in Germany, Conversations 2025 brought together international scholars and practitioners to discuss current developments in chatbots and human centred AI.

The contributions by Human-IST members address methodological challenges of generative AI in qualitative research as well as new empirical insights into synthetic relationships in chatbot based applications. All papers underwent peer review and are now available as preprints:

• Generative Artificial Intelligence in Qualitative Research Methods: Between Hype and Risks?
  by Maria Couto Teixeira, Marisa Tschopp, Anna Jobin
  A position paper discussing opportunities and risks of using generative AI in qualitative research.
  Link

• Barriers Shaping Synthetic Relationships With Companion Bots: A Three Week Initial Adaptation Study
  by Marisa Tschopp, Nadine Schlicker, Nima Zargham, Henrik Skaug Saetra, Johannes Schöning
  An empirical study examining perceived asymmetries that prevented participants from forming positive synthetic relationships with companion bots.
  Link

• “It’s Mysterious, Bodiless and Omniscient, like a God”: Exploring Users’ Perceptions of Synthetic Relationships in a Mental Health App
  by Maria Couto Teixeira, Annika Aebli, Stefanie Klein, Marisa Tschopp
  An analysis of how users perceive their relationship with a chatbot in a mental health app and how these perceptions shape their experience.
  Link