Personal profile
Biography
Dr Chloe M Barnes is a Lecturer in Computer Science at Aston University. She is also a member of the Artificial Life and Intelligent Collectives Engineering research lab.
Chloe received her PhD in Computer Science in 2021 from Aston University, UK, studying the consequences of unintended interactions that arise in shared environments. Her research interests are inspired by the fields of human psychology and sociology, and are directed towards that of Artificial Life, computational self-awareness, neuroevolution, and interference within multi-agent systems.
Research Interests
My interests lie in the broad areas of Computational Intelligence, Artificial Life, and Agent-Based Systems. I am interested in exploring how individuals behave in collective environments -- specifically when the actions of others are unknown. My research involves using theory from other disciplines such as neuroscience, psychology and sociology to design artificial systems that can behave in a manner that is socially-acceptable for their current environment, for the benefit of themselves and the collective.
Teaching Activity
CS1OOP -- Object-Oriented Programming with Java (UG)
CS2TP -- Team Project (UG)
CS3CI -- Computational Intelligence (UG)
CS4870 -- Team Project (PG)
CS2IAI -- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (UG) (2023-24)
Chair and member for international conferences
Doctoral Symposium Co-Chair: The 4th IEEE International Conference on Autonomic Computing and Self-Organizing Systems (ACSOS), 2023.
Virtual Environment Co-Chair: The 3rd IEEE International Conference on Autonomic Computing and Self-Organizing Systems (ACSOS), 2022.
Volunteer and Social Experience Chair: The 2nd IEEE International Conference on Autonomic Computing and Self-Organizing Systems (ACSOS), 2021.
Volunteer Chair: The 1st IEEE International Conference on Autonomic Computing and Self-Organizing Systems (ACSOS), 2020.
Volunteer and Minecraft Chair: The Artificial Life (ALIFE) Conference, 2020.
Available PhD Studentships
Plastic Behaviour for Social Interaction in Agent-Based Systems
Artificial systems no longer exist in isolation, meaning the actions of one can have adverse effects on others. Exploring how these types of systems can take more socially-acceptable actions could enable systems in areas such as economics, traffic management, and smart cities to align actions with societal goals – not just their own. Inspired by artificial intelligence, neuroscience and biology, this project aims to explore how behavioural plasticity – like seen in natural beings – affects how artificial systems overcome environmental dynamicity for the benefit of themselves and those around them.
The objectives of this multidisciplinary project are therefore to:
a) Model and gain understanding of the types of interactions that can take place between artificial systems in shared environments, using agent-based systems,
b) Develop novel methods of employing behavioural plasticity in artificial agents
c) Develop methods to evaluate how plasticity affects agent interaction and goal-achievement, for individuals and society.
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Interference and Volatility in Evolutionary Agent-Based Systems, Aston University
1 Jul 2017 → 20 Sept 2022
Award Date: 20 Sept 2021
BSc, Computer Science with Industrial Placement Year, Aston University
30 Sept 2013 → 17 Jul 2017
Award Date: 17 Jul 2017
PG Cert, PGCert, Aston University
1 Jan 2022 → …
External positions
Expert Evaluator for CompSci Doctoral Programme, University of Oslo
Feb 2022 → Jun 2022
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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SDG 13 Climate Action
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Enhancing pollinator conservation: Monitoring of bees through object recognition
Alex, A. J., Barnes, C. M., Machado, P., Ihianle, I., Markó, G., Bencsik, M. & Bird, J. J., Jan 2025, In: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 228, 12 p., 109665.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)10 Downloads (Pure) -
Sustainable Artificial Intelligence: A Perspective on Society, Ethics, and the Environment
Barnes, C. M., Bird, J. J. & Ekárt, A., 25 Nov 2025, Women in AI and Sustainability. Patelli, A. & Ekárt, A. (eds.). 1 ed. Springer, Cham, (Women in Engineering and Science).Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference output › Chapter
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What’s It Like to Trust an LLM: The Devolution of Trust Psychology?
Powers, S. T., Urquhart, N., Barnes, C. M., Cimpeanu, T., Ekárt, A., Han, T. A., Pitt, J. & Guckert, M., 12 Sept 2025, In: IEEE Technology and Society Magazine. 44, 3, p. 30-37 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter, comment/opinion or interview › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
AI Generated Art: Latent Diffusion-Based Style and Detection
Bird, J. J., Barnes, C. M. & Lotfi, A., 1 Feb 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) Advances in Computational Intelligence Systems. Springer, Cham, p. 157-169 (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing (AISC); vol. 1453).Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference output › Conference publication
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A Study on Psychometric Assessment Data for Autonomous Dementia Detection
Barnes, C., 29 Jun 2022, Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments, PETRA 2022. ACM, p. 383-389 7 p. (ACM International Conference Proceeding Series).Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference output › Conference publication
Open AccessFile15 Downloads (Pure)
Thesis
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Interference and Volatility in Evolutionary Agent-Based Systems
Barnes, C. (Author), Ekárt, A. (Supervisor), Aug 2021Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy
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