Talal Rahwan

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About

Talal Rahwan is a leading researcher in computational social science and artificial intelligence, whose work explores how perceptions of mind shape human interactions with both other people and machines. His major contributions lie at the intersection of AI ethics, social cognition, and behavioral economics, particularly in understanding how humans attribute experience and agency to robots and algorithms. In his highly cited 2024 paper, "Perception of experience influences altruism and perception of agency influences trust in human–machine interactions," Rahwan demonstrates that when people perceive a robot as capable of feeling (experience), they are more altruistic toward it, while perceiving agency—the ability to act and take responsibility—increases trust. This work, already garnering 18 citations, has profound implications for designing socially intelligent AI systems that foster cooperation and ethical human-robot relationships. Beyond this, Rahwan’s broader research on collective intelligence and network science has been widely recognized, with his papers accumulating thousands of citations and influencing fields from economics to computer science. His findings offer critical insights for students and researchers seeking to build machines that are not only functional but also socially integrated and trusted.