Nicolas Leins

My research focuses on human-computer interaction with agentic AI systems in the areas of learning, collaboration, and decision-making. Through prototyping and experimental evaluation, I investigate how people collaborate with and experience AI in applied contexts (e.g., AR and VR), addressing interaction design, user experience, and broader societal implications.

📬 Contact

office
Room 3023 at ZIB
e-mail

🎓 Curriculum vitae

since 2025
Researcher at ZIB
Sep 2025
M.Sc. in Business Information Systems and Digital Transformation at UP
2020 to 2025
Research Assistant at UP
Sep 2022
B.Sc. in Business Information Systems at UP

📝 Publications and preprints

Preprints

  1. Gonnermann-Müller, J., Haase, J., Leins, N., Igel, M., Fackeldey, K., and Pokutta, S. (2026). FACET: Multi-Agent AI Supporting Teachers in Scaling Differentiated Learning for Diverse Students. [arXiv]
    [BibTeX]
    @misc{2026_JanagonnermannmuellerEtAl_Facetmultiagent_2601-22788,
      archiveprefix = {arXiv},
      eprint = {2601.22788},
      arxiv = {arXiv:2601.22788},
      primaryclass = {cs.HC},
      year = {2026},
      author = {Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Haase, Jennifer and Leins, Nicolas and Igel, Moritz and Fackeldey, Konstantin and Pokutta, Sebastian},
      title = {FACET: Multi-Agent AI Supporting Teachers in Scaling Differentiated Learning for Diverse Students},
      date = {2026-01-30}
    }
  2. Gonnermann-Müller, J., Haase, J., Leins, N., Kosch, T., and Pokutta, S. (2026). Stable Personas: Dual-Assessment of Temporal Stability in LLM-Based Human Simulation. [arXiv]
    [BibTeX]
    @misc{2026_JanagonnermannmuellerEtAl_Stablepersonas_2601-22812,
      archiveprefix = {arXiv},
      eprint = {2601.22812},
      arxiv = {arXiv:2601.22812},
      primaryclass = {cs.HC},
      year = {2026},
      author = {Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Haase, Jennifer and Leins, Nicolas and Kosch, Thomas and Pokutta, Sebastian},
      title = {Stable Personas: Dual-Assessment of Temporal Stability in LLM-Based Human Simulation},
      date = {2026-01-30}
    }
  3. Haase, J., Gonnermann-Müller, J., Hanel, P. H. P., Leins, N., Kosch, T., Mendling, J., and Pokutta, S. (2026). Within-Model Vs Between-Prompt Variability in Large Language Models for Creative Tasks. [arXiv]
    [BibTeX]
    @misc{2026_JenniferhaaseEtAl_Promptvariability_2601-21339,
      archiveprefix = {arXiv},
      eprint = {2601.21339},
      arxiv = {arXiv:2601.21339},
      primaryclass = {cs.AI},
      year = {2026},
      author = {Haase, Jennifer and Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Hanel, Paul H. P. and Leins, Nicolas and Kosch, Thomas and Mendling, Jan and Pokutta, Sebastian},
      title = {Within-Model Vs Between-Prompt Variability in Large Language Models for Creative Tasks},
      date = {2026-01-29}
    }
  4. Leins, N., Gonnermann-Müller, J., Teichmann, M., and Pokutta, S. (2026). Investigating the Influence of Spatial Ability in Augmented Reality-assisted Robot Programming. [arXiv]
    [BibTeX]
    @misc{2026_NicolasleinsJanagonnermannmuellerMalteSebastianpokutta_Spatialabilityar_2602-03544,
      archiveprefix = {arXiv},
      eprint = {2602.03544},
      arxiv = {arXiv:2602.03544},
      primaryclass = {cs.RO},
      year = {2026},
      author = {Leins, Nicolas and Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Teichmann, Malte and Pokutta, Sebastian},
      title = {Investigating the Influence of Spatial Ability in Augmented Reality-assisted Robot Programming},
      date = {2026-02-03}
    }

Conference proceedings

  1. Gonnermann-Müller, J., Haase, J., Leins, N., Kosch, T., and Pokutta, S. (2026). Maintaining Stable Personas? Examining Temporal Stability in LLM-Based Human Simulation. Proceedings of the CHI EA 2026: Extended Abstracts of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
    [BibTeX]
    @inproceedings{2026_GonnermannEtAl_CHIStablePersonas,
      year = {2026},
      booktitle = {Proceedings of the CHI EA 2026: Extended Abstracts of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
      author = {Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Haase, Jennifer and Leins, Nicolas and Kosch, Thomas and Pokutta, Sebastian},
      title = {Maintaining Stable Personas? Examining Temporal Stability in LLM-Based Human Simulation}
    }
  2. Haase, J., Gonnermann-Müller, J., Hanel, P. H. P., Leins, N., Kosch, T., Mendling, J., and Pokutta, S. (2026). It’s Not Just the Prompt: Model Choice Dominates LLM Creative Output. Proceedings of the CHI EA 2026: Extended Abstracts of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
    [BibTeX]
    @inproceedings{2026_HaaseEtAl_CHICreativity,
      year = {2026},
      booktitle = {Proceedings of the CHI EA 2026: Extended Abstracts of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
      author = {Haase, Jennifer and Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Hanel, Paul H. P. and Leins, Nicolas and Kosch, Thomas and Mendling, Jan and Pokutta, Sebastian},
      title = {It's Not Just the Prompt: Model Choice Dominates LLM Creative Output}
    }
  3. Gonnermann-Müller, J., Leins, N., Gronau, N., and Kosch, T. (2024). Value by Design: Reducing Cognitive Load by Using Visual Guidance in Augmented RealityAn Eye-Tracking Study. Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems.
    [BibTeX]
    @inproceedings{2024_GonnermannLeinsGronauKosch_Valuebydesign,
      year = {2024},
      booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems},
      author = {Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Leins, Nicolas and Gronau, Norbert and Kosch, Thomas},
      title = {Value by Design: Reducing Cognitive Load by Using Visual Guidance in Augmented RealityAn Eye-Tracking Study}
    }

Full articles

  1. Leins, N., Gonnermann-Müller, J., and Teichmann, M. (2024). Comparing Head-mounted and Handheld Augmented Reality for Guided Assembly. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces, 18(4). DOI: 10.1007/s12193-024-00440-1
    [BibTeX]
    @article{2024_LeinsGonnermann_ComparingHMD,
      year = {2024},
      journal = {Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces},
      date = {2024-09-27},
      month = sep,
      volume = {18},
      number = {4},
      doi = {10.1007/s12193-024-00440-1},
      author = {Leins, Nicolas and Gonnermann-Müller, Jana and Teichmann, Malte},
      title = {Comparing Head-mounted and Handheld Augmented Reality for Guided Assembly}
    }

👨‍🏫 Teaching

summer 2024
Assistant for Betriebliches Wissensmanagement at UP
summer 2025
Assistant for Betriebliches Wissensmanagement at UP