TechWell Lab, led by Prof. Zijun (June) Shi, aims to advance AI technologies to serve human well-being, with a focus on social and mental well-being. We believe that improved social and mental well-being can create substantial economic and societal value.​  

​

Our members come from interdisciplinary fields, including computer science, behavioral science, psychology, cognitive science, economics, and data science. We conduct interdisciplinary research with the following two themes:​​

​

(1) ​Human-AI Affective Relationship. A new category of human experience is taking shape. People are forming affective relationships with AI systems (e.g., companions, therapeutic interfaces, and emotionally responsive agents) at a pace and scale that no prior technology has approached. They are ongoing, emotionally textured, sometimes intimate, and increasingly consequential for how people make decisions and regulate their wellbeing. We are devoted to the computational science of human-AI affective relationships. We ask how such relationships form, evolve, and influence human cognition, behavior, well-being, and social life. We treat these relationships as a distinct phenomenon requiring its own theoretical vocabulary, measurement tools, and empirical evidence.

​

(2) Consumer Well-being. We explore how AI and digital technologies can help enhance consumer decisions across diverse contexts in the well-being economy. Our research bridges scientific insights from cognitive science, economics, psychology, and artificial intelligence with real-world practice in healthcare services and consumer products. We investigate how responsible design, ethical governance, and market mechanisms can be thoughtfully shaped to align cutting-edge technological innovation with meaningful user adoption and sustained well-being outcomes. By grounding our work in rigorous empirical evidence, we aim to create solutions that are not only effective but also safe, personalized, and commercially viable.

​

​