Yesh Chala

Yesh Chala (he/him) is a researcher, builder, and graduate student based in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally from India, he studied computer science before moving into human systems engineering and behavioral science at Arizona State University, where he is now pursuing his master’s.

He currently works at ADAPT Lab at ASU, researching trust metrics in human–AI interaction, and is writing his thesis on intentionality in digital habits and life satisfaction. His research on digital habits evolution and intentionality has been presented at the ASPIRE 2024 International Conference. Previously, he worked at the Center for Acceleration of Operational Efficiency (CAOE), designing and running large-scale resilience engineering studies for critical security settings, and at Tata Consultancy Services Research, where he explored UX research on public perceptions about GenAI and worked on interfaces for multimodal AI. He has also freelanced across UX research, design, and product development.

Yesh is the founder of Patronus Labs, a research and insight agency that bridges behavioral science, digital cultures, and market analysis. Patronus Labs explores how technology and human behavior shape one another, with projects ranging from large-scale survey tools to qualitative AI agents and foresight studies on digital well-being and AI adoption.

His research interests span digital cultures, human-AI interaction, behavioral design, and public policy.