SSCR PhD Student
bvass1@sheffield.ac.uk
Ben’s career to date: Holding a BSc (Hons) in Product Design and a MSc in Psychology, my academic interests centre around the practical and optimal use of socio-technical solutions to address complex societal challenges. In addition to my formal education, I also worked at a dementia care home and as a research assistant (first via placement before securing paid employment) where I investigated the use of smart technology across the Adult Social Care remit.
Host university: University of Sheffield
Project title: Artificial intelligence and the (re)production of disability in social care
Project summary: Budgetary and staff retention challenges in the Adult Social Care sector have led to decreased care quality. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and pervasive technologies -such as wearable and environmental sensors- represents a critical opportunity to alleviate these challenges. However, with some AI-enabled technology presenting barriers to use and algorithmic biases against disabled individuals, comprehensive investigation of socio-technical approaches is needed to ensure safe and effective development and deployment of AI in the adult social care sector.
Through my NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR) PhD studentship, I intend to address two primary research aims through working with stakeholders:
1) To investigate the barriers and opportunities that AI technologies provide for improving care quality as well as service users’ agency and independence.
2) To critically analyse the current role and opportunities that pervasive technology (including pervasive computing, wearable and environmental sensors) has for profiling and assessing service users’ needs.
Anticipated completion date: March 2029
PhD supervisors: Dr Denis Newman-Griffis
