Speaker: Dr. Navid Hashemi

Abstract: As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into learning, problem-solving, and decision-making, a critical question emerges: How can we design AI systems that enhance human reasoning rather than simply provide answers? This talk introduces Socratic AI, a human-centered approach that uses guided questioning and intelligent conversational scaffolding to foster critical thinking, reflection, and active engagement. The presentation explores the design of the Socratic AI framework, its custom agentic implementation, and its evaluation through ongoing collaborative research across multiple universities, investigating how different human-AI interaction strategies influence reasoning, learning, and knowledge transfer. Beyond educational applications, the talk discusses broader implications for Information Systems research, highlighting how human-centered AI design can support human agency, strengthen cognitive capabilities, and enable more meaningful human-AI collaboration.

Short bio: Dr. Navid Hashemi is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Graduate Program Director in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at the College of Charleston, USA, where he also directs the Data Mining & Connectivity Research Lab. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Georgia and previously served as a Visiting Professor at Emory University. In 2026, he was awarded an Erasmus Mundus Visiting Scholarship at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI) in Spain. His research focuses on applied AI, machine learning, health informatics, and human-AI interaction.