Faculty of Business and Economics launches BehavAI Lab

BehavAI will focus on understanding not what AI does to people, but what humans are capable of with AI. (Image generated with ChatGPT.)

The Faculty of Business and Economics has launched the BehavAI Lab, which will research how humans can use AI to strengthen their performance, autonomy and human agency.

Grounded firmly in behavioural science, the Lab will support the responsible and ethical use of AI while striving to produce causal evidence, not just commentary, about the effects AI can have on society.

The Lab’s lead investigator, Associate Professor Greg Nyilasy, says the challenge is understanding whether AI can prove to be an effective and productive tool for society.

“AI will reshape everyday decision-making and organisational life. The crucial question is whether it makes people more capable, or quietly less,” he said.

The Lab will rely heavily on randomized controlled trials, focussing on four key areas – how AI will impact organisations, consumers, broader society, and human learning. The core team spans behavioural science, marketing, management, data analytics, finance, and education research, including Dr Alex Belli, Dr Yilin Tsai, Dr Tom Whitford, Dr Nitin Yadav and collaborators across institutions.