Renwen (Alice) Zhang

I am a Nanyang Assistant Professor in the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. I direct the Social Well-being, Empathy, and Emerging Technologies Lab (SWEET) Lab. My research examines the social and emotional implications of digital technologies, particularly how technologies impact mental and social well-being. My recent work investigates the processes and outcomes of human-AI relationships, the benefits and risks of AI companionship, and how AI can mediate and augment empathetic communication.

My work is largely interdisciplinary, drawing on theories and methods from communication, psychology, and human-computer interaction. I collaborate closely with clinical scientists, computer scientists, and designers to better understand human behavior and address complex societal challenges (wicked problems). I aim to generate insights that inform the design of socio-technical systems that foster more empowering, ethical, and beneficial human–technology interactions. My research has appeared in leading journals and conference proceedings, including the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Information, Communication & Society, ACM CHI, CSCW, npj Digital Medicine, and Journal of Medical Internet Research.

I’m honored to have received several international awards, including the Google Research Scholar Award and Google Academic Research Award, ACM CHI Best Paper Award, and International Communication Association (ICA) Top Paper Award. My research has also been featured in major media outlets, such as the Associated Press and The New York Times. I am recognized among the World’s Top 2% of Scientists (Stanford University & Elsevier ranking).

Prior to joining NTU, I was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore (NUS). I received my PhD in Media, Technology, and Society from Northwestern University, an MPhil in Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a BA in Journalism with a minor in English Literature from Shanghai International Studies University.

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News

[2026-2] Featured in the BBC article “Can a Machine Ever Love You?”, discussing the evolving landscape of human–AI relationships. Here are some additional thoughts and reflections.

[2026-1] Two papers got accepted to CHI 2026!

[2025-12] Serve as Chair of the Provocations and Works in Progress track, ACM Designing Interactive Systems 2026.

[2025-11] Serve as the Panel Chair for the International Conference on Human-Engaged Computing (ICHEC 2025) in Singapore, having organized and moderated two panels.

[2025-10] Honored and excited to receive the Google Academic Research Award (Trust, safety, security, & privacy) to support our project on “Developing a User-centered Framework for Socio-Emotional AI Harm Assessment“.

[2025-10] Our paper on the computational and ethical challenges of using LLMs in psychotherapy was published in Nature Computational Science.

[2025-8] Joined the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University as Nanyang Assistant Professor.

[2025-7] Co-organize the 4th Summer Institute in Computational Social Science (SICSS)-Singapore.

[2025-6] Honored to receive the Google Research Scholar Award (Human Computer Interaction) to support our project, “When AI Crosses the Line: Detecting and Mitigating Harms in Human–AI Relationships.”

[2025-4] Our paper on prosociality towards AI received the Best Paper Award from CHI’25. Congrats to my former PhD student Zicheng Zhu and other collaborators!

[2025-4] Our paper on the dark side of AI companionship got published at CHI’25.

[2024-12] Honored to receive the Google South Asia & Southeast Asia Research Award in recognition of my project, “Culturally Sensitive AI Chatbots for Enhancing Social Connections among Older Adults.”

[2024-11] Co-organize the 2024 CSCW Workshop on “What is Safety?: Building Bridges Across Approaches to Digital Risks and Harms”.

[2024-10] Our research on cross-cultural AI privacy is published in Social Media + Society.

[2024-9] Our study about the emotional implications of human-AI relationships is published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.

[2024-06] Co-organize the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science (SICSS)-Singapore.

[2024-05] Serve on the Organizing Committee as the Publication Chair of CHI 2025.

[2024-05] Our paper about cross-cultural public perceptions of conversational AI was published at CHI 2024.

[2024-04] Our review paper about the impact of AI chatbots on mental health is featured by the Associated Press, Nature, and 90 other mainstream media. 

[2023-09] Serve as the Associate Chair for CHI 2024 Health Subcommittee.