Jee Hang Lee

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

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About

Jee Hang Lee is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of social robotics and brain-inspired reinforcement learning, whose work addresses critical challenges in human-robot interaction and autonomous decision-making. His most influential contribution, the "Fribo" social robot (2018, 44 citations), tackles the growing epidemic of social isolation among young adults living alone—a demographic shift demanding innovative technological solutions. Unlike conventional robots that rely solely on one-to-one interaction, Fribo leverages ambient social cues to foster genuine community connections, marking a paradigm shift in how robots can mediate human relationships. In parallel, Lee’s seminal work "Toward high-performance, memory-efficient, and fast reinforcement learning—Lessons from decision neuroscience" (2019, 12 citations) bridges neuroscience and robotics, distilling principles from human decision-making to create AI systems that learn efficiently in noisy, unpredictable environments. This dual focus—on both the social and cognitive dimensions of robotics—positions Lee as a visionary who not only designs robots that understand human loneliness but also equips them with brain-like learning mechanisms. His research holds profound implications for assistive technologies, autonomous systems, and mental health interventions, making him a key figure in the next generation of socially intelligent, adaptive machines.