Dr. Ying Xu

Biography

Ying Xu is an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Xu's research focuses on designing artificial intelligence technologies that promote language literacy development, STEM learning, and the well-being of children and families. Her current projects investigate the design and effectiveness of conversational AI technologies that serve as language partners and learning companions for children, as well as how AI affects children's social interactions and developmental processes. Additionally, she explores human-AI collaborative approaches to empower education stakeholders in the development of AI technologies tailored to specific needs and contexts. Xu collaborates closely with children, families, educators, and community organizations to create media that reflect informed values and practices, alongside linguistic and cultural assets. Her partners include major organizations such as PBS KIDS, GBH Education, and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Schmidt Futures, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and has been published in leading academic journals across psychology, education, and human-computer interaction.

Research Interests

Experience