Samia Chehbi Gamoura, head of the new “M-AI-ND” research cluster, took the time to answer our questions alongside Ksenija Djuricic, both members of the HuManiS Research Center.
Could you introduce the cluster members? How did the team come together?
S.C.G.: First, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my colleagues and fellow faculty members Ksenija Djuricic, Pierre-François Lelaurain, Imad Eddine Haraoubia, David Damand, and Raficka Hellal-Guendouzi, the founding members of the cluster, for their trust, support, and involvement in creating the cluster M-AI-ND, a collective initiative to bring together research activities related to artificial intelligence at our institution.
The “M-AI-ND” cluster draws on a strong and diverse team of about a dozen academic members, complemented by strong ties to the field. Specifically, our collective is organized around three complementary teams:
- A strong internal core team: six faculty members and three doctoral students who drive research activities on a day-to-day basis.
- A broader national and international team: one faculty member from another French institution, as well as two researchers affiliated with institutions abroad, who broaden our perspectives.
- An applied team: three strategic industry partners who work closely with us to bridge our research and the realities of business.
These three teams came together organically through our collaborations over the past few years. Several colleagues were already actively conducting research on artificial intelligence. The cluster truly grew out of a shared desire to bring all these efforts together and structure them.
Our external academic and industry partners joined us naturally, building on our collaborative work and recent discussions about AI-related issues.
What are the cluster’s main research areas?
S.C.G.: The “M-AI-ND” cluster covers the entire value chain of artificial intelligence applied to organizations, whatever their nature, form, or industry. To that end, our research is organized around four complementary focus areas:
- Focus area 1, BUILD-AI (AI Design and Integration): This is our foundation. We study the modeling and development of AI tools, with a particular focus on process automation and the essential integration of human and AI capabilities in the workplace.
- Focus area 2, MANAGE-AI (Managerial Implications of AI): This is the backbone of the cluster. This area examines all the transformations taking place within organizations: how AI changes decision-making, how it reshapes work and skills, and how it redefines governance and leadership.
- Focus area 3, TRUST-AI (AI Ethics and Trust): This area focuses on the conditions for applying AI. We directly address questions about the allocation of responsibility between humans and machines, the management of algorithmic bias, the acceptability of AI tools, and compliance and security requirements.
- Focus area 4, IMPACT-AI (AI Innovation and Sustainability): This area brings the other areas together. We assess the long-term, cross-cutting implications of AI: its impact on overall innovation, organizational resilience, knowledge management, and, of course, sustainability.
How will the team be organized? How will you bring together all your research areas around this topic?
K.D.: To ensure smooth and responsive communication with stakeholders outside the cluster, a pair of team members will coordinate and communicate with them. For projects already underway, as well as those that will emerge within the cluster, we will form squads around specific projects. This approach is designed to foster responsiveness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and effective project implementation. It seems particularly well suited to the range of expertise within the cluster and will allow us to support several different initiatives at the same time.
What are the issues and motivations behind this project?
K.D.: Our societies are currently undergoing profound economic, social, and technological transformations. Technological advances, particularly those related to artificial intelligence, play a major role in these changes. In this context, we believe it is essential for us as researchers to contribute to understanding these transformations, analyze their impact, propose relevant uses for technology, and help the stakeholders involved adapt to these changes. These developments also raise questions about the values, standards, and collective choices that shape our societies. That is why AI-related ethical issues feature prominently in the cluster’s work, alongside efforts to anticipate and explore future developments. The project’s main motivation is therefore to support these transformations by generating knowledge, informing public- and private-sector decision-making, and contributing to discussions about the future paths our societies may take.
What are the cluster’s medium- and long-term goals?
S.C.G. & K.D.: In the medium and long term, the cluster aims to continue its fundamental research while strengthening its capacity to develop and coordinate funded research projects, particularly through European programs. Although the uses of artificial intelligence are a research subject in their own right, these technologies can also be used as analytical tools to address a wide range of societal issues. This diversity of applications creates many opportunities for research and collaboration. The cluster also aims to become a hub connecting researchers, institutions, and partners with complementary expertise. This momentum should foster interdisciplinary collaboration, the sharing of expertise, and the generation and dissemination of new knowledge.
In addition, the cluster provides a setting for its members to develop their skills by exploring new topics and enriching their research practices. Finally, over the longer term, the cluster intends to remain attentive to emerging technologies that could profoundly transform our societies, such as quantum computing, and to incorporate these issues into its work when relevant.
Ultimately, the M-AI-ND cluster’s ambition is not simply to observe the technological revolution, but to play an active role in shaping it. Whether addressing artificial intelligence today or the technological leaps of tomorrow, our mission will remain to support these profound changes by keeping people, responsible governance, and sustainable performance at the center of new management dynamics.
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions!