<html theme="default-light" iconset="color"><head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body text="#000000"> Please share widely - One position is postdoc - apply at <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2904"><https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2904></a> One position is for an engineer - apply at <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2981"><https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2981></a> -------------- TITLE: The role of rapport in human-conversational agent interaction: Modeling conversation to improve task performance in human-agent Interaction CONTRACT TYPE : Fixed-term contract, renewable CONTEXT The objective of this project is to build embodied conversational agents (also known as ECAs, or virtual humans, or chatbots, or multimodal dialogue systems) that have the ability to engage their users in both social and task talk, where the social talk serves to improve task performance. In order to achieve this objective, we model human-human conversation, and integrate the models into ECAs, and then evaluate their performance. Depending on the candidate's experience, she or he can be hired as postdoc, or as "jeune chercheur", which is a more advanced position. ASSIGNMENT The post doc chosen for this project should have a broad range of skills at the intersection of Cognitive Science and Computer Science. These skills should include several of the following: - The analysis and synthesis of conversational behavior, as the team will be using human behavior as the basis for the implementation of a conversational agent. - The construction of a corpus of data, as the team will be gathering a corpus of data on the social aspects of human-human conversation within a particular domain, and annotating and analyzing those data. - Development of computational models from the results of the data analysis as well as based on relevant prior literature, deep reinforcement learning, and other tools. -The implementation of data-driven computational models of social phenomena into a functioning ECA (Embodied Conversational Agent) using machine learning approaches to dialogue systems, such as deep reinforcement learning and LSTM (among others). - Evaluating research, as the team will evaluate whether the new models improve the performance of the ECA. The candidate will be able to help decide the domain of the research, as applications of the work can be as varied as virtual personal assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Now and intelligent tutoring systems. For more information on the project, potential candidates should look at the SARA (Socially-Aware Robot Assistant) website at <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://articulab.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/projects/sara/"><http://articulab.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/projects/sara/></a> and read some of the publications associated with the project, here <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://articulab.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/publications/"><http://articulab.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/publications/></a> MAIN ACTIVITIES - Design and carry out experiments - Analyze their results - Implement modules in working socially-aware dialogue systems - Write articles - Present work in conferences SKILLS AND COMPETENCES REQUIRED: - Technical competencies: Solid competence in deep learning applied to dialogue systems, competence in statistics, avanced competence in programming in language such as Python and C++, and use of tools such as Tensorflow and Pytorch. - Languages: French, English - Relational competences : ability to work in a team, and collaborate with others from different disciplines and backgrounds. Ability to manage other team members. ADDITIONAL COMPETENCES: Theoretical background in one or several of the following: cognitive science, linguistics, conversational analysis, sociolinguistics, social cognition, learning science. INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY 1) letter of motivation describing the subject of the doctoral thesis, and how the candidate's past experience prepares him/her to work on this topic CV 2) Abstract or summary of PhD dissertation 3) Names and contact information for 2 or 3 people who can write letters of recommendation (DO NOT ATTACH THE LETTERS - WE WILL REQUEST THE LETTERS) NO APPLICATIONS OR PARTS OF APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED BY EMAIL. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE ON THE INRIA WEBSITE. For more information and to apply for the postdoc position, please see <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2904"><https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2904></a> For more information and to apply for the engineer position, please see <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2981"><https://recrutement.inria.fr/classic/offre/show/2981></a> <div class="moz-signature">-- <span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Justine Cassell Chaire, PR[AI]RIE Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AI Directrice de Recherche, Inria Paris <span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Steward, Information, Media & Entertainment Initiative, World Economic Forum<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:justine.cassell@inria.fr">justine.cassell@inria.fr</a> <span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.justinecassell.com">www.justinecassell.com</a><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://articulab.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/">http://articulab.hcii.cs.cmu.edu/</a> On leave from Carnegie Mellon University<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"><br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;"></div> </body> </html>