Meryl Ye

Hihi! I’m a second-year PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University in the School of Computer Science’s Software and Societal Systems Department, where I am supported by a Sansom Graduate Fellowship. I am advised by Steve Rathje and Bob Kraut.

My research examines how sociotechnical systems shape human judgment, autonomy, and wellbeing. I am particularly interested in the consequences of interacting with conversational AI, including how these systems influence beliefs, decision-making, trust, and emotional support.

I combine conceptual, empirical, and interdisciplinary approaches to understand how AI systems influence human thought and behavior. Depending on the question, I draw on qualitative interviews and diary studies, behavioral experiments, surveys, computational analyses, and theory-building. My goal is to better understand how AI affects people and to inform the design and governance of AI systems that better support users’ long-term interests and wellbeing.

I am also a research assistant with Data & Society’s AI on the Ground team, where I study how people use general-purpose AI systems for emotional and mental health support, including both the benefits these systems provide and the risks that emerge when they become embedded in care practices.

I graduated from Cornell University in 2023 with a B.S. in Computer Science. I am grateful to have worked with Malte Jung and Jon Kleinberg in my undergraduate research.

I’m always happy to connect and collaborate with new people. Whether you’re curious about my work, thinking about grad school, or just want to talk ideas, feel free to send me an email!