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Sunbul Ahmad
(she/her)
Teams and roles for Sunbul Ahmad
Teaching Associate
Overview
I am a Part-Time Teaching Associate in the School of Computational and Mathematical Sciences at Cardiff University and a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Computer Science at Swansea University. My research sits at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), and Responsible AI, with a focus on designing technologies that are inclusive, culturally sensitive, and beneficial to diverse communities.
I completed my PhD at Cardiff University, where I explored the design of Social Assistive Robots (SARs) for older adults in Pakistan. My research examined how cultural, linguistic, and social factors influence the adoption of emerging technologies and highlighted the importance of designing technologies that are sensitive to local contexts and user needs.
My current research focuses on fairness and responsible AI. I am interested in understanding and addressing bias in AI systems, and in exploring how emerging technologies can be designed and evaluated to better support diverse users and communities.
Alongside my research, I teach across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate computing modules. I enjoy working with students from different backgrounds and supporting them in developing technical skills, critical thinking, and confidence in applying computing concepts to real-world challenges.
Publication
2026
- Ahmad, S. et al. 2026. Technology meets tradition: investigating user acceptance and engagement with robots for supporting older adults in Pakistani homes. Presented at: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Barcelona, Spain 13-17 April 2026. Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York, NY, USA: ACM. , pp.475-475. (10.1145/3772318.3790658)
2025
- Ahmad, S. M. et al. 2025. Understanding the impact of robots’ embodiment on user acceptance and engagement: Perspectives of older adults from Pakistan. International Journal of Social Robotics 17 , pp.2769-2788. (10.1007/s12369-025-01314-6)
- Ahmad, S. M. et al. 2025. Envisioning social robots in daily life: A home-based design study with older adults in Pakistan. Presented at: BCS HCI Cardiff, UK 9-11 November 2025. Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference. BCS. , pp.406-419. (10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2025.47)
- Ahmad, S. M. et al. 2025. "I never imagined a robot speaking Urdu": Exploring the influence of language on robots' acceptance. Presented at: HRI 2025 Melbourne, Australia 4-6 March 2025. HRI '25: Proceedings of the 2025 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction. IEEE. , pp.1186-1190. (10.1109/HRI61500.2025.10974143)
2024
- Ahmad, M. I. , Alzahrani, A. and Ahmad, S. M. 2024. Detecting deception in natural environments using incremental transfer learning. Presented at: ISMI '24: International Conference on Multimodal Interaction San Jose, Costa Rica 4-8 November 2024. ICMI '24: Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Multimodal Interaction. New York, NY: Association for Computing Machinery. , pp.66-75. (10.1145/3678957.3685702)
2023
- Ahmad, S. et al. 2023. Exploring the potential of social robots in supporting home medication management. Presented at: BCS HCI 2023 York, UK 28-29 August 2023. Proceedings BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference. Electronic Workshops in Computing BCS Learning and Development Ltd. , pp.99-109. (10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2023.12)
Articles
- Ahmad, S. M. et al. 2025. Understanding the impact of robots’ embodiment on user acceptance and engagement: Perspectives of older adults from Pakistan. International Journal of Social Robotics 17 , pp.2769-2788. (10.1007/s12369-025-01314-6)
Conferences
- Ahmad, S. et al. 2026. Technology meets tradition: investigating user acceptance and engagement with robots for supporting older adults in Pakistani homes. Presented at: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Barcelona, Spain 13-17 April 2026. Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. New York, NY, USA: ACM. , pp.475-475. (10.1145/3772318.3790658)
- Ahmad, S. M. et al. 2025. Envisioning social robots in daily life: A home-based design study with older adults in Pakistan. Presented at: BCS HCI Cardiff, UK 9-11 November 2025. Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference. BCS. , pp.406-419. (10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2025.47)
- Ahmad, S. M. et al. 2025. "I never imagined a robot speaking Urdu": Exploring the influence of language on robots' acceptance. Presented at: HRI 2025 Melbourne, Australia 4-6 March 2025. HRI '25: Proceedings of the 2025 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction. IEEE. , pp.1186-1190. (10.1109/HRI61500.2025.10974143)
- Ahmad, M. I. , Alzahrani, A. and Ahmad, S. M. 2024. Detecting deception in natural environments using incremental transfer learning. Presented at: ISMI '24: International Conference on Multimodal Interaction San Jose, Costa Rica 4-8 November 2024. ICMI '24: Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Multimodal Interaction. New York, NY: Association for Computing Machinery. , pp.66-75. (10.1145/3678957.3685702)
- Ahmad, S. et al. 2023. Exploring the potential of social robots in supporting home medication management. Presented at: BCS HCI 2023 York, UK 28-29 August 2023. Proceedings BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference. Electronic Workshops in Computing BCS Learning and Development Ltd. , pp.99-109. (10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2023.12)
Contact Details
+44 29225 14880
Abacws, Floor 3, Room 3.46, Senghennydd Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4AG
55 Park Place, Room 1.06, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3AT
Research themes
Specialisms
- Human-robot interaction
- Human-computer interaction
- Social robotics
- Assistive robots and technology
- Human-centred computing