Building AI systems is not enough. We also have a responsibility to help people understand what these systems can and cannot do, where they may fail, and when their outputs should be questioned. That responsibility becomes more important as AI begins to shape decisions in education, healthcare, and public life.
I study and design AI systems that help people learn, decide, stay safe, and create public value.
I am Savvas A. Chatzichristofis, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at Neapolis University Pafos. My work began in computer vision and robotics and has gradually expanded towards AI in education, clinical decision support, and the responsible adoption of intelligent systems.
1. Who I Am
I grew up in Cyprus and studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at Democritus University of Thrace, where I completed a PhD in computer vision. I later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at CERTH and held academic appointments at Cyprus University of Technology and Alpen-Adria-Universität in Austria.
I joined Neapolis University Pafos in 2017, where my responsibilities have gradually expanded across teaching, research leadership, programme development, and institutional strategy. I am an IEEE Senior Member and a member of Sigma Xi. Across these roles, I try to remain guided by curiosity, careful evidence, and a willingness to revise my own assumptions.
Outside academia, I remain close to the stories and games that shaped my imagination, including Back to the Future, The Matrix, Monkey Island, and The Longest Journey.
2. What I Do
My research spans artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics, with an emphasis on systems intended to operate under real-world constraints. I have contributed to more than fifteen European research projects and collaborated with multidisciplinary teams across several countries. My work has been published in journals including IEEE Transactions on Image Processing and IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies. I also serve as Editor-in-Chief of AI in Education.
The topics have changed over time, but the common thread has remained the same: developing methods that can move beyond controlled demonstrations and become useful in practice.
Selected externally funded projects:
- sFly: Vision-based navigation for drones operating without GPS, using visual SLAM. [Video] [CORDIS]
- NOPTILUS: Coordination of autonomous underwater vehicles for deep-sea missions. [Video] [CORDIS]
- Compact Composite Descriptors (CCDs): Efficient methods for multimedia indexing and retrieval. [Read more]
Alongside formal research, I write articles and create short videos that translate technical ideas for non-specialist audiences.
My work with software has evolved alongside my research. During my computer vision years, I contributed to LIRe, implemented and released under the GNU GPL several core MPEG-7 visual descriptors, and developed a range of open-source image-retrieval tools, including img(Rummager). LIRe was later used for image-similarity search in WIPO's Global Brand Database. As my focus expanded to AI in education, I contributed to EPVL. My interest in games, storytelling, and interactive experiences also led me to independently create and commercialise Houdini MC, which has grown into one of the more widely used escape-room control platforms and now supports more than 3,500 rooms worldwide. These projects have allowed me to experience the path from a research idea to open-source adoption and sustained commercial use.
3. Why It Matters
The most important questions about AI are rarely only technical. They also concern timing, authority, accountability, and the conditions under which a system should influence a human decision.
In education, I investigate whether, when, and under what forms of teacher mediation AI can support learning, particularly for children and students from underrepresented groups. In medicine, I develop clinical decision-support tools intended to assist clinicians while preserving professional judgement and autonomy.
I treat safeguards not as restrictions added after development, but as part of the design itself. A system should make its purpose, limitations, and role clear enough for people to question it and, when necessary, decide not to follow it.
My research is also informed by the philosophy of information. I am interested in how meaning is created, shared, and contested when mediated by machines, and in how systems can support critical reflection and informed decision-making.
Better AI is not only a question of what systems can do. It is also a question of what people can understand, what they can challenge, and what they remain free to decide.
4. Who I Work With
I work with schools, coding clubs, universities, research teams, clinicians, public institutions, and technology organisations. These collaborations range from European projects and policy groups to hands-on learning activities for children and teachers.
I offer free school visits, open educational resources, and practical sessions intended to make AI and computing more approachable without hiding their complexity. Some of these initiatives have been recognised in Cyprus and at European level through the ALL DIGITAL Awards. I also write children's books that connect storytelling with science.
At national level, I serve on Cyprus's National AI Taskforce and contribute to work on AI in education. I also chair the Steering Committee for Cyprus's International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence initiative, working with JetBrains, the official national coordinator, and partner organisations to create opportunities for young people interested in AI.
Within the university, I work with students and colleagues on research, new programmes, and international competitions. I have been fortunate to see our students reach the ICPC World Finals and receive recognition in programming contests. Those outcomes belong to the teams and learning communities that made them possible.