Related papers: Embracing Companion Technologies
This paper introduces the concept of coexistence for embodied artificial agents and argues that it is a prerequisite for long-term, in-the-wild interaction with humans. Contemporary embodied artificial agents excel in static, predefined…
Research in Artificial Intelligence is breaking technology barriers every day. New algorithms and high performance computing are making things possible which we could only have imagined earlier. Though the enhancements in AI are making life…
From its inception, AI has had a rather ambivalent relationship to humans---swinging between their augmentation and replacement. Now, as AI technologies enter our everyday lives at an ever increasing pace, there is a greater need for AI…
Designing and evaluating personalized and proactive assistant agents remains challenging due to the time, cost, and ethical concerns associated with human-in-the-loop experimentation. Existing Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) methods often…
Interacting with human agents in complex scenarios presents a significant challenge for robotic navigation, particularly in environments that necessitate both collision avoidance and collaborative interaction, such as indoor spaces. Unlike…
The design of work organisation systems with automated equipment is facing new challenges and the emergence of new concepts. The social aspects that are related with new concepts on the complex work environments (CWE) are becoming more…
Individuals frequently form deep attachments to physical objects (e.g., plush toys) that usually cannot sense or respond to their emotions. While AI companions offer responsiveness and personalization, they exist independently of these…
As the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to advance, there is increased interest in how best to combine AI-based agents with humans to achieve mission effectiveness. Three perspectives have emerged. The first stems from more…
Shared experiences are fundamental to social connection, yet media consumption is increasingly solitary. While AI companions offer real-time reactions and emotional regulation, existing systems either rely on single-agent designs or lack…
Humans strive to design safe AI systems that align with our goals and remain under our control. However, as AI capabilities advance, we face a new challenge: the emergence of deeper, more persistent relationships between humans and AI…
Social interactions promote well-being, yet barriers like geographic distance, time limitations, and mental health conditions can limit face-to-face interactions. Emotionally responsive AI systems, such as chatbots, offer new opportunities…
The social acceptance of AI agents, including intelligent virtual agents and physical robots, is becoming more important for the integration of AI into human society. Although the agents used in human society share various tasks with…
The opaque nature of many intelligent systems violates established usability principles and thus presents a challenge for human-computer interaction. Research in the field therefore highlights the need for transparency, scrutability,…
Augmented Reality (AR) technologies are redefining how we perceive and interact with the world by seamlessly integrating digital elements into our physical surroundings. These technologies offer personalized experiences and transform…
Human-AI collaboration is evolving from a tool-based perspective to a partnership model where AI systems complement and enhance human capabilities. Traditional approaches often limit AI to a supportive role, missing the potential for…
Experiential AI is proposed as a new research agenda in which artists and scientists come together to dispel the mystery of algorithms and make their mechanisms vividly apparent. It addresses the challenge of finding novel ways of opening…
As web agents rapidly evolve, an increasing body of work has moved beyond conventional atomic browser interactions and explored tool use as a higher-level action paradigm. Although prior studies have shown the promise of tools, their…
AI companion chatbots, such as those offered by Replika and CharacterAI, increasingly function as always-available companions that provide empathy, validation, and support. While these systems appear to meet basic needs for connection,…
Critical to successful human interaction is a capacity for empathy - the ability to understand and share the thoughts and feelings of another. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly required to interact with humans in a…
Development in digital technologies has continuously reshaped how individuals seek and receive social and emotional support. While online platforms and communities have long served this need, the increased integration of general-purpose…