Derek Lomas is a tenured professor of Positive AI at TU Delft, working on bridging Human-Centered Design and Artificial Intelligence.

I am a tenured professor of “Positive AI” at the department of Human-Centered Design at the Delft University of Technology. As a member of the Delft Institute for Positive Design and the AI and Experience Design Lab, I seek to connect positive psychology with AI system design. I like to work on projects that aim to enhance human learning, wellbeing and beauty. Originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, I now live in Amsterdam with my wife and four children.

Previously, I was a postdoctoral Design Fellow in the Design Lab at UC San Diego, mentored by Don Norman. At the Carnegie Mellon University Human-Computer Interaction Institute, my PhD thesis described the data-driven optimization of learning and enjoyment in education games. There I was advised by Ken Koedinger and Jodi Forlizzi. I received an MFA in Visual Art from UC San Diego (advised by Natalie Jeremijenko and Sheldon Brown) and a BA in Cognitive Science at Yale University where I was taught by philosopher Nick Bostrom.

I have expertise in designing software based on cognitive science. I am the cofounder of Playpower Labs, Inc, where I’ve designed AI-based educational software and games used by millions of learners. I am also the cofounder of NeuroUX, which creates gamified cognitive assessments to support remote mental health research. My latest venture is Smart Paper, which uses computer vision to enhance traditional paper-based learning experiences in India. I’ve provided workshops and masterclasses for designing with Large Language Models (LLMs) to companies like IKEA and Bugaboo—and to hundreds of students, professors and high school educators.

I love classical philosophy, particularly in the Pythagorean tradition. I recently published a comprehensive review of the concept of Harmony in Design. I argue that harmonizing is a core human motivation and this is reflected the need for harmony in the mind, harmony in relationships and harmony with nature. I’ve also recently written another paper on the science of “vibes” and artificial intelligence: Resonance as a Design Strategy for AI.