Leo Gao

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About

Leo Gao investigates the intersection of human-robot interaction and computational creativity, with a primary focus on collaborative storytelling. His work challenges the conventional assumption that robots merely narrate pre-curated tales, instead pioneering systems where machines and humans co-create narratives in real time. In his highly cited 2021 paper "Collaborative Storytelling with Social Robots" (20 citations), Gao expanded the emerging task of collaborative storytelling, demonstrating how robots can serve as active, adaptive partners in narrative construction. He further advanced this paradigm in "Design and Analysis of a Collaborative Story Generation Game for Social Robots" (17 citations), where he introduced a structured game framework that enables fluid, turn-by-turn story co-creation between humans and social robots. By designing interaction protocols that balance robot initiative with human agency, Gao has laid foundational groundwork for more engaging, socially intelligent robotic companions. His contributions are particularly impactful for researchers in social robotics, entertainment AI, and human-robot collaboration, offering both theoretical insights and practical design principles. Gao's work continues to shape how we envision robots not as passive tools, but as creative collaborators in shared human experiences.