Jayani Samaraweera

I am a PhD student in software engineering at the University of Victoria, and my research work focuses on human values in AI-enabled software systems, with a particular interest in emerging agentic AI.

I bring an engineering background and many years of software engineering industry experience, which ground my research in real-world development practices.

My research began by examining how cultural values shape software development practices and has grown into studying how values can be embedded, negotiated, and governed in systems that increasingly act with autonomy.

Research Projects

AI-in-the-Loop: Context-Aware AI with Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Investigating how dynamically supplied context through the Model Context Protocol improves human–AI interaction over time in a real-world CRM platform.

Human-Centered Agentic AI to Support Nonprofit Organizations

Exploring how agentic AI systems can support nonprofit organizations while preserving core values such as empathy, human touch, and donor trust.

Culture and Uncertainty in Software Development

A study exploring how cultural orientations shape uncertainty management in requirements engineering, and how cultural diversity can strengthen a team’s ability to navigate ambiguous requirements.

Perspective Taking in Complex Software Teams

While software failures are often framed as technical shortcomings, many originate from poor decision-making and communication breakdowns. We investigate how cognitive factors like perspective-taking and psychological safety impact a team’s ability to navigate ambiguity and deliver quality software.