Mijke the Matchbot: Bridging gaps with AI
Hi, I’m Sichen, and I am currently pursuing an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) at Eindhoven Engine. With a background in Industrial Design and a strong focus on user experience (UX) and interaction design, I completed my master’s at Eindhoven University of Technology.
I now work within the focus area Inclusive Society, exploring how AI can bridge the gap between individuals with low literacy and the support systems around them. Our solution? Mijke, the Matchbot.
Breaking barriers with AI
My EngD project focuses on the development of Mijke from the Met Mij project, a conversational AI chatbot designed to support NT1 (Dutch as a first language) adults with limited basic skills in accessing local services. Hosted on WhatsApp and powered by a large language model, Mijke offers both voice and text interaction—reducing the barriers many users face with written communication.
The project explores five core challenges:
1. Clarity in communication
Ensuring the chatbot communicates clearly.
2. Emotional connection
Providing a supportive and empathetic interaction.
3. User-friendly design
Making the chatbot intuitive and user-friendly.
4. Multi-modal accessibility
Offering multiple modes of interaction.
5. Precision in support
Connecting users with the right help efficiently.
For more information about Mijke and the Met Mij project.
Addressing information inequality
Millions of people in the Netherlands struggle with basic literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. Mijke shows a possibility of solving this information inequality by offering a friendly experience tailored to the real-world needs of often overlooked people via Artificial Intelligence (AI). This work stands at the crossroads of technology, social equity, and public service innovation, showing how AI can be used responsibly in human-centered design.
Empowering communities
I aim to help people with limited basic skills access support more easily and confidently. By doing so, I hope to decrease the workload of stakeholders, such as social workers, employees from municipalities, or public service staff. Additionally, I want to set a benchmark for evaluating AI recommendations in social public service contexts and contribute new knowledge and tools to the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI), accessibility, and digital inclusion.
This work stands at the crossroads of technology, social equity, and public service innovation, showing how AI can be used responsibly in human-centered design.