Assistant Professor · Santa Clara University

Designing for
human agency.

I research and design technologies that support human agency: people’s sense of control over their actions and outcomes. My work spans digital wellbeing, community-engaged augmented reality, and generative AI. I study how apps capture attention and build ways to support intentional use; co-design AR stories with the local Ohlone Native American community; and examine how AI represents people and how people retain judgment and authorship when working with AI.

[email protected]HCI Lab ↗CV →

**Kai Lukoff**Researcher, teacher, storyteller.

Where to find me

All events & past talks →

Oct 5, 2026

ATXpo 2026 — AI Kitchen

Stanford, California · Plenary speakerPlenary: 9:05–9:30 a.m. PDT
Oct 10–14, 2026 Conference dates

CSCW 2026

Salt Lake City, Utah · Attending · Doctoral consortium mentor
Oct 23, 2026

SCU Board of Regents meeting — AI Kitchen

Santa Clara, California · Invited presenter · Closed meeting
Dec 9, 2026

UC Berkeley — Bellwether Lecture

Berkeley, California · Invited speakerApprox. noon–2 p.m. PST
May 10–14, 2027 Conference dates

CHI 2027

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Attending

If we’ll be in the same place, say hello.

Selected projects

Research projects

Explore all research →

Digital Wellbeing

Supporting intentional technology use, from individual interfaces to the wider app ecosystem.

Three SwitchTube interfaces: Explore, Focus, and a switch between the two. — SwitchTube: choosing how to engage with YouTube.

CHI 2023 · TOCHI 2025

SwitchTube & digital self-control

From adaptable YouTube interfaces to digital attention heuristics and student workshops, I study how design can help people use technology on their own terms.

SwitchTube paper Attention heuristics Workshops

SMAR’s public interface with app-store tabs, keyword search, and research examples. — Studying mobile app stores at scale.

NSF-supported research tool

Systematic Mobile App Review

SMAR

Tools and guidelines for collecting and analyzing app-store data at scale—helping researchers understand the digital environments people use every day.

Try SMAR NSF project

Community-engaged AR

Co-creating stories with communities and the places they call home.

Collaborators place colored sticky notes on a large campus map while designing the Thámien Ohlone augmented reality tour. — Co-designing the tour with students, faculty, and Ohlone collaborators.

CHI 2024 Best Movie · Niantic 8th Wall Grand Prize

Thámien Ohlone AR Tour

Co-designing augmented reality with the local Ohlone community to bring Indigenous histories and presence into view on the Santa Clara University campus.

Explore the tour Watch the film