IVI Interview: Dr. Dragiša Mišković, Team Lead of the Human–Machine Interaction Group
Which projects marked the past year in terms of the work of the research group you lead?
In 2024, the HCI group achieved significant results in technology transfer and the application of AI solutions across various domains. One of the highlights was a project in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), carried out in collaboration with Telekom Serbia. The model we developed enables monitoring and optimization of the company’s customer support operations.
In addition, as part of the European project Verif.AI and in collaboration with Bayer, we developed a system for verifying content generated by large language models.
Beyond these, we are also working on a predictive maintenance system in the energy sector, which is expected to be implemented and operational at the Nikola Tesla A thermal power plant in Obrenovac by next year. In the field of robotics, our group is engaged in an Interreg bilateral cooperation project between Serbia and Croatia, focused on the application of collaborative robots in automated welding processes.
Would you highlight any specific breakthroughs in your group’s work during 2024?
The biggest breakthrough has been the number of projects awarded — both industry and research-focused. These projects led to the development of our first market-ready AI solutions: a Serbian language anonymizer (HCI Home) and a system for verifying AI-generated content (Verif.ai Home).
Where do you see the greatest potential for improving IVI’s work in your research area?
The greatest potential of AI in the HCI domain lies in creating more intuitive and personalized interactions, making technology a more natural part of everyday life. We are witnessing the increasing application of large language models (LLMs) capable of mimicking human intelligence. Our goal is to develop such models for the Serbian language and enhance them with multimodal capabilities to enable full human–machine interaction.
Through various projects, the HCI group has the potential to act as a bridge between the Institute and international institutions.
Who were your key partners?
Among our key industry partners are Telekom Serbia, EPS, 30hills, and CEKOM Croatia. In the field of research and development, we’ve collaborated with the Faculty of Technical Sciences, the Mihajlo Pupin Institute, Bayer (Germany), and others.
What are your expectations and plans for 2025, and what would be your New Year’s wish for IVI?
In the coming year, we will begin implementing a bilateral cooperation project between Serbia and China, in partnership with the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Tongji University (Shanghai), and UESTC (Chengdu). We are also preparing applications for projects funded by the Science Fund of Serbia and proposals for EU HORIZON calls in the field of artificial intelligence.
Our New Year’s wish: to grow the HCI group and welcome young, talented new team members.
