Human-Engaged Computing

"Fifty years of research have shown me HCI's growth from its origins to a cornerstone of the PC era and now a vital AI technology. Yet current theories face a bottleneck amid accelerating change and rising uncertainty. Eastern thinking is increasingly important. This book explores Human-Engaged Computing to understand humans and technology through Xin/心. I encourage readers to appreciate its holistic vision of human-computer relationships and sustainable civilization. This understanding may inspire the next technological paradigm. Through HEC, I hope HCI, AI, and related fields will together foster humanity’s sustainable prosperity."

- Dai Guozhong, Professor, Institute of Software Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

"This text asks us to engage with a new way of thinking about HCI - how "human-engaged computing" (HEC) can evolve technology design to the next level. An emerging philosophical approach within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), HEC goes beyond merely designing usable or human-centered systems – HEC aims for a synergistic relationship between humans and technological systems. Ren and colleagues will lead you through why a new framing for HCI and HCAI and why an HEC focus matters to us all. This volume will give you a framework to step you through the next revolution of how humans will interact with computation."

- Elizabeth Churchill, Department Chair and Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, MBZUAI, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

"Amongst so much Western-centred literature in the field of HCI, it is compelling to read the work of Professor Ren and colleagues, as experts with access to a philosophical starting point that challenges these dominant narratives. We have not been talking enough about "Xin", but now we have a word for the spiritual and existential dynamics that are increasingly of interest in a rapidly changing world."

- Ann Light, Professor of Design & Creative Technology, University of Sussex, UK

"At a time when technology risks hollowing out our sense of connection, this book shines with the Eastern spirit of 心. Professor Ren and colleagues remind us that our digital future cannot be built on speed and efficiency alone, but on cultivating harmony, connection, and wellbeing. Human-Engaged Computing offers an urgent and hopeful compass for reimagining the digital age."

- Naomi Yamashita, Professor, Social Informatics, Kyoto University, Japan

"Despite the continuous advancement of cutting-edge technologies such as AI, the increasingly prominent challenges at both the individual and societal levels are constantly reshaping the trajectory of technological innovation. This book systematically presents the development history, core connotations, theoretical framework, and practical applications of human-engaged computing. By building a bridge between cultural core and technological development, it greatly expands the future possibilities in the field of human-computer interaction. We firmly believe that human-engaged computing will surely open up a broader and deeper territory of innovation in the future."

- Yingqing Xu, Professor, Director of The Future Laboratory, Tsinghua University, China

"HEC is Prof. Ren’s invitation to express your best creative self through technological design which assumes and affirms the human ability to do immense good when not disabled or displaced by technologies. An HEC approach to design seeks to discover, enhance and apply our best human capabilities for the wellbeing of humanity in the whole scheme of existence. HEC wisely assumes that the value and sustainability of technology are wholly dependent on its faithfulness to human values and human sustainability. Without humanity, technology has no pulse, no soul, no compassion, no market, no future. Thus, the most useful and the most beautiful technologies are those that value, engage and enhance humans in their responsibilities to each other and their environments."

- John Cahill, English Consultant, Brisbane, Australia