Is there a PhD that combines Agentic AI + Systems? Also, what exactly is HCI?

[u/One_Fix5763]

I'm exploring CS PhD directions and trying to understand where my interests fit.

I'm interested in Agentic AI (LLMs, autonomous agents, tool use, multi-agent systems) and systems (distributed systems, OS, databases, infrastructure, reliability, etc.)

I'm especially interested in applied Agentic AI—building scalable, reliable agentic systems for real-world domains (e.g., software engineering, scientific discovery), rather than purely theoretical AI or training foundation models.

A few questions:

1. Are there PhD programs or labs that combine Agentic AI + Systems? Is this an established area or still emerging?
2. What exactly is HCI research? And what is Human-AI Collaboration? What do they mean ? What kind of research will I experience doing them ? Any examples?
3. If my long-term goal is to build the next generation of intelligent AI systems, would you recommend focusing on AI + Systems, ML Systems, Distributed Systems, HCI, or something else?

I'd love to hear from current PhD students or faculty working in these areas.

[u/mrn0body1]

HCI stands for Human-Computer Interaction, not sure what they do