2025 - present

As automated systems and artificial intelligence increasingly organize and direct workplace operations, a critical gap often emerges between rigid algorithmic decisions and the unpredictable realities of dynamic real-world environments. Under this research theme, we investigate the lived experiences and invisible labor of human workers who operate at the service touchpoint, constantly mediating the frictions between abstract system logic and actual user expectations. Moving beyond the traditional view of workers as mere passive executors of automated tasks, our research emphasizes the necessity of incorporating situated human judgment and expertise into algorithmic systems. By deeply understanding how workers navigate, adapt to, and repair algorithmic control, we aim to design collaborative, hybrid socio-technical systems that respect human autonomy. Ultimately, our goal is to develop worker-centered interventions that foster fair, adaptive, and empowering work environments, ensuring that technological advancements support rather than marginalize the human workforce.