EdTech Fellow and Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Chair for Human-Centered Technologies for Learning, TUM SOT

December 1, 2025

Fifth Episode: Dr. Efe Bozkir

In this fifth episode of Research Spotlight, Dr. Efe Bozkir discusses the use of artificial intelligence in extended reality (XR). Listeners can now enjoy an AI-generated audio of the interview here below, and further explore his insights on the importance of sensing modalities for modelling human behaviour as well as the need to consider their privacy implications.

Interview

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself and your current role at the TUM? 

Hi! I am Efe, an enthusiastic computer scientist who is currently working as a postdoctoral research associate at the Chair for Human-Centered Technologies for Learning.

2. What is your primary area of research, and what initially drew you to this field?

My primary research area focuses on human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence in extended reality. I explore how different sensing modalities, such as eye tracking, can help us understand and model human behavior, as well as the privacy implications of these settings and technologies. My interest, especially in extended reality, stems from a long-standing enthusiasm for games and 3D environments, which first sparked my curiosity about how people experience and interact within digital spaces.

3. What are the key challenges in education that arise from the use of extended reality (XR) setups and artificial intelligence?

The combination of XR and AI in education introduces several challenges. First, privacy and data governance: immersive systems can capture highly sensitive signals, which require responsible data processing. Further, equity and access: XR hardware and high-quality content remain unevenly distributed across different stakeholders. Lastly, teacher training and classroom integration, even after the widespread adoption of remote and online learning, continue to pose significant challenges.

4. What role do sensing modalities (e.g., eye-tracking) play in your research to ensure that virtual and immersive environments reflect privacy principles and human preferences?

Sensing modalities such as eye tracking play an important role in my research, as these sensors allow us to understand users’ visual attention and cognitive processes in immersive environments. By modeling where people look, how they move, and particularly how they behave, we aim to design XR systems that intelligently adapt to human behavior. At the same time, many of these modalities raise significant privacy concerns, as such data can reveal a range of personal characteristics due to its granularity. My work seeks to balance these two aspects, leveraging sensing for personalization while upholding privacy principles.

5. I heard that you are a sports enthusiast. What are the sports you enjoy the most, and what team do you predict winning the upcoming Football World Cup 2026?

I particularly enjoy basketball, football, and cycling. I come from Turkey, and naturally, my favorite for the World Cup is Turkey. However, if I had to make a prediction, I would say Spain might win it.

Website

https://www.edu.sot.tum.de/hctl/team/postdoctoral-researchers/dr-efe-bozkir/