Rudrajit Choudhuri
I’m Rudrajit (Rudy), a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at Oregon State University, advised by Dr. Anita Sarma. I am a mixed-methods researcher working at the intersections of Human-Centered AI (HCAI), Software Engineering (SE), Cognitive Science, UX Design, CS Education, and the Future of Work. I study (1) the cognitive and socio-technical factors that shape human–AI collaboration, and (2) how to design human-centered interfaces for AI tools that improve AI-native knowledge work.
Most recently, I spent two summers at Microsoft: with Microsoft Research (SAINTES) in 2025, studying where and why developers want AI support and how to design it responsibly (AI Where It Matters), and with Microsoft Tech Futures (X3) in 2026, investigating what makes a great co-worker in an AI-native workplace and translating human-centered AI research into a practitioner-facing design cookbook for UI/UX of AI.
My broader goal is to empower developers and knowledge workers with trustworthy, responsible, and inclusive AI support, so they can work more effectively, keep oversight and control over AI, rely on it appropriately, and retain their agency and craft. My work has appeared at leading SE/HCI venues (ICSE, TOSEM, ICSME, ICER, EMSE, and ACM Queue) as well as machine learning and computer vision venues (CVIP, ICVGIP, and the Neural Computing and Applications journal), and has received four distinguished paper awards.
I am grateful to have been mentored by incredible researchers who have shaped my journey: Anita Sarma and Margaret Burnett for SE+HCAI, Igor Steinmacher and Bianca Trinkenreich for SE, Christopher Sanchez for Cognitive Psychology, Christian Bird and Marco Gerosa for SE+AI.
Have questions or want to chat? I’m always happy to connect with people—feel free to reach out!
Most recently, I spent two summers at Microsoft: with Microsoft Research (SAINTES) in 2025, studying where and why developers want AI support and how to design it responsibly (AI Where It Matters), and with Microsoft Tech Futures (X3) in 2026, investigating what makes a great co-worker in an AI-native workplace and translating human-centered AI research into a practitioner-facing design cookbook for UI/UX of AI.
My broader goal is to empower developers and knowledge workers with trustworthy, responsible, and inclusive AI support, so they can work more effectively, keep oversight and control over AI, rely on it appropriately, and retain their agency and craft. My work has appeared at leading SE/HCI venues (ICSE, TOSEM, ICSME, ICER, EMSE, and ACM Queue) as well as machine learning and computer vision venues (CVIP, ICVGIP, and the Neural Computing and Applications journal), and has received four distinguished paper awards.
I am grateful to have been mentored by incredible researchers who have shaped my journey: Anita Sarma and Margaret Burnett for SE+HCAI, Igor Steinmacher and Bianca Trinkenreich for SE, Christopher Sanchez for Cognitive Psychology, Christian Bird and Marco Gerosa for SE+AI.
Have questions or want to chat? I’m always happy to connect with people—feel free to reach out!
Latest News
| Sep 2026 | Our paper “To Copilot and Beyond: 22 AI Systems Developers Want Built” received the IEEE Distinguished Paper Award in the Industry Track at ICSME 2026!  |
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| Aug 2026 | Our work on AI autonomy was featured in RDEL #158: Where do developers draw the line on AI autonomy? |
| Aug 2026 | “What Needs Attention? Prioritizing Drivers of Developers’ Trust and Adoption of Generative AI” accepted to ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM). |
| Jul 2026 | “AI Where It Matters” and “To Copilot and Beyond” were featured in Brian Houck’s Five studies that are changing how I think about AI in software engineering (DX Engineering Enablement). |
| Jun 2026 | Started as an Applied Science Intern with Microsoft Tech Futures (X3) in Redmond, WA, working with Alice Ferng, Cinoo Lee, and Peter Jahn. |
| May 2026 | “The AI-Native Developer: Redefining Work, Identity, and the Future of Craft” is out in ACM Queue (Vol. 24, No. 2), and was covered by DX Engineering Enablement and RDEL #143. |
| May 2026 | Featured on KGW TV News discussing AI’s impact on students’ cognitive engagement and AI literacy for scam prevention. KOIN 6 ran a detailed article, with further coverage by KATU, Jefferson Public Radio, SAN, and The News Guard. |
| Apr 2026 | “To Copilot and Beyond: 22 AI Systems Developers Want Built” accepted to the ICSME 2026 Industry Track. |
| Mar 2026 | I’m returning to Microsoft, as an Applied Science Intern starting June 2026! |
| Oct 2025 | New papers, “Maybe We Need Some More Examples:” Individual and Team Drivers of Developer GenAI Tool Use [ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award ] and “AI Where It Matters: Where, Why, and How Developers Want AI Support in Daily Work” accepted at ICSE 2026. |
| Jun 2025 | Started as a PhD Research Intern with the SAINTES group at Microsoft Research, working with Christian Bird, Robert DeLine, and Carmen Badea. |
| Apr 2025 | I’m thrilled to be joining Microsoft Research (SAINTES group), as a Research Intern starting June 2025! |
| Mar 2025 | Awarded the MOSIP Global Impact Inclusive Research Fellowship (Gates Foundation-funded) to work on inclusive national ID systems. |
| Jan 2025 | “What Guides Our Choices?” and “Investigating the Impact of Interpersonal Challenges on Feeling Welcome in OSS” accepted at ICSE 2025; “Insights from the Frontline” accepted at CSEE&T 2025. |
Experience
| 2026 | Applied Science Intern, Microsoft (Tech Futures X3), Redmond, WA |
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| 2025 | PhD Research Intern, Microsoft Research (SAINTES Group), Redmond, WA |
| 2025 | Global Impact Research Fellow, MOSIP (Gates Foundation-funded fellowship) |
| 2022– | Graduate Research Assistant, Oregon State University, advised by Anita Sarma |
| 2022 | Research Scholar, IIT Kharagpur (AI4ICPS Lab) |
| 2021 | Associate Software Developer Intern, Nomura Research Institute Financial Technologies, Kolkata |
| 2019–22 | Research Student, St. Thomas’ College of Engineering & Technology, advised by Amiya Halder |
Education
| Ph.D. | Computer Science, Oregon State University (in progress), advised by Anita Sarma |
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| M.S. | Computer Science, Oregon State University, advised by Anita Sarma |
| B.Tech | Computer Science (Hons.), St. Thomas’ College of Engineering & Technology, Rank 1 in college, advised by Amiya Halder |