Drs. Pandita and Ratan return for another conversation spanning avatars, AI, XR, and the philosophy of science.

The episode begins with emerging research on digital minds at Cambridge and the question of consciousness in social AI. Robby and Swati explore the idea that recognizing an avatar as a self-representation—understanding that it is both you and distinct from you—may represent an important step toward selfhood.

They then recap the Meaningful XR Conference held at the University of Oregon’s Portland campus, reflecting on the event's growth, community, and research trends. Along the way, they highlight a few memorable presentations and give a shout-out to the many overlapping communities advancing immersive technologies, including the Immersive Learning Network, Miami XR, Immerse Symposium, ARVRA, University of Michigan XR, and the Global Metaverse Laboratory.

The conversation closes with a discussion of what it means to "debunk" an idea and how scientific knowledge evolves. Drawing on broader questions in the philosophy of science, Robby and Swati consider whether science is best understood as proving ideas wrong or as a continual process of refinement and improvement.

From digital consciousness to immersive learning and scientific skepticism, this episode explores some of the big questions shaping the future of avatars and social AI.

Dr. Swati Pandita joins Robby to discuss avatars, they're favorite academic subject! Welcome to The Avatars Show -- a new dimension of SPARTIE Cast.

We speculate on Netflix's avatar direction post acquisition of Ready Player Me (the cross-platform avatar provider that led the market), taking inspiration from Fortnite, virtual concerts, vtubers, and book clubs. Perhaps the fundamental goal is social connection oriented toward the stories we share. Avatars may serve as an enhanced means of bringing people together -- in a time of increased social anxiety and political polarization -- by reducing the harrowing cues that trigger social distance.

Here's the VRChat world we discussed, Beyond Meet Space.

We also talked about AI-vatars (akin to digital twins) -- LLM-powered representations of you that can serve as your assistant, self-similar friend, etc., thinking through research on how they might be used in educational contexts, health, well-being.

Color theory (and avatars) also worked into the conversation as well.

(PART 2) Dr. Swati Pandita shares her experience as an avatar scholar from perspectives across multiple fields (Communication, Human-Computer Interaction, and Neuroscience). This is Part 2 of a 2-part recording (apologies for minor audio issues in Part 1).

Our guest, Dr. Marianne Brandon, is a clinical psychologist who focuses on relationships and sex in the modern age. Two SPARTIE lab students -- Jack Waier and Anthony Zheng -- and I had a fascinating conversation about how her work as a sex therapist might inform the research we conduct on social interactions with agents, AI, robots, and real live humans. Hope you enjoy.
Read more on Marianne here: https://www.drbrandon.net/
Read more on the F-pocalypse idea here: https://medium.com/predictions-about-ai/the-fuckpocalypse-9925355938ef

In this episode, Robby delves into the topic of iSchools and privacy risks in a post-covid world with Dr. Vitak, an associate professor at the University of Maryland. Together, they discuss the issue of workplace surveillance and how the line between peoples' homes and workplaces are blurring together. They also talk about the dangers of predictive models, including their potential for biased and inaccurate outcomes. Dr. Vitak has even been impacted by this personally. She received a request for an article that doesn't actually exist! It was made up by ChatGPT, highlighting how data driven algorithms can produce biased or inaccurate results. Finally, they discuss Dr. Vitak's NSF-funded Data Ethics project.

In this episode, Robby speaks with Dr. Andrew Gambino, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware, to delve into the fascinating world of chatbots and AI. They explore CASA and the distinctive ways in which individuals interact with AI and computers in contrast to human interactions. Moreover, they probe the features of ChatGPT and Bard to better understand their idiosyncrasies. The conversation takes a turn to discuss potential implications for workplaces and schools as AI technologies become widely adopted. They muse potential benefits for low-skilled workers that integrate AI into their workflows. The conversation then shifts to the potential implications of AI for society, including the power of AI to enable organizations to spread messages and interact with countless individuals meaningfully. Interestingly, even this video description was co-authored by ChatGPT!

Robby joins Bill Heinrich as a guest speaker on the podcast Mindset in Motion to discuss “what (the heck) the metaverse is,” and how it may modify the learning experience through a range of new virtual experiences, avatar identities, and accessibility in post-secondary education.

About the SPARTIE Lab:

The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion).

The SPARTIE Lab is part of the greater academic community at the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University. More information on the lab's research projects, staff, and work can be found on the SPARTIE Lab website.

About the host:

Dr. Rabindra (Robby) Ratan, Ph. D., is an associate professor and AT&T Scholar at Michigan State University’s Department of Media and Information and is the director of the SPARTIE Lab.

He is also an affiliated faculty member of the MSU Department of Psychology, the MSU College of Education’s program in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, and the MSU Center for Gender in a Global Context. Ratan received his Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his M.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and his B.A. in Science, Technology and Society, also from Stanford University.

Dr. Ratan conducts research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influence meaningful outcomes (e.g., persuasion, education, health/safety). He is particularly interested in the Proteus effect, media-rich transportation contexts, perceptions of media as self-representations and/or social others, avatarification for health and education, and gender stereotypes in gaming contexts.

Dr. Ratan lives near Lansing with his family. More information on his work can be found on his website.