International Society
for Presence Research

Author: Matthew Lombard

  • Call: gamevironments 2025 Research Day: Video Games and Our Futures

    Published:

    Call for Applications: gamevironments 2025 Research DayTheme: Video Games and Our FuturesOctober 22, 2025Hybrid: University of Bremen, Germany and onlinehttps://journals.suub.uni-bremen.de/index.php/gamevironments/gvresearchday Deadline for applications (CV and 500-word abstract): June 30, 2025 The gamevironments Journal is hosting the 4th Annual Research Day (three previous workshops were hosted by the International Academy for Study of Gaming and Religion, IASGAR). Exclusively for early-stage researchers, graduate students, and doctoral students, the workshop welcomes research on all aspects of games and gaming, including media-centered as well as actor-centered approaches, perspectives of game developers and publishers, and viewpoints of gamers. The gamevironments Research Day 2025 offers a…

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  • The tyranny of algorithmic personification and why we must resist it

    Published:

    [This “Curmudgeon Corner” essay from the journal AI and Society argues that artificial intelligence technologies should be designed to avoid rather than expand the use of social cues that evoke medium-as-social-actor presence. –Matthew] [Image: “Replika AI companions can be customised to suit the relationship needs of users. Credit: Luka/Replika.” Source: ABC News (Australia)] The tyranny of algorithmic personification and why we must resist it By Palanichamy Naveen, Dr.N.G.P. Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, IndiaApril 26, 2025 We live in an age where algorithms no longer merely personalize—they personify. From virtual assistants that feign empathy to recommendation engines that masquerade as confidants,…

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  • Call: Future of Magazine International Conference: (Re)Thinking Magazines: Challenges and Opportunities

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Future of Magazine International Conference: (Re)Thinking Magazines: Challenges and OpportunitiesOctober 29- 31, 2025Lusófona UniversityLisbon, Portugal [and online]https://maglab.cicant.ulusofona.pt/fom-2025 Deadline for submission of abstracts: June 9, 2025 (extended) MagLab is pleased to announce the open call for the second edition of the biennial Future of Magazine (FoM) international conference, organized by CICANT, Lusófona University’s research center, taking place from October 29 to 31, 2025. The conference will feature paper presentations, poster sessions, and a remote panel, offering multiple formats for sharing and discussing original research. The most outstanding contributions will be invited to develop their work for publication in…

    Read more: Call: Future of Magazine International Conference: (Re)Thinking Magazines: Challenges and Opportunities

  • Orson Welles can now be your AI-generated tour guide

    Published:

    [In the latest example of using presence-evoking technology to create the illusion that someone who has died is alive, Variety reports that you can now listen to Orson Welles tell you personalized stories related to your location or other points of interest with the Storyrabbit service. In the audio clip (via Vimeo) included in the original version of the story, Welles says “I now walk beside you.” (Note that using his voice is free until June 1). –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Len Trievnor/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images] Orson Welles Can Now Be Your AI-Generated Tour Guide By Todd SpanglerMay 21, 2025 Nearly 40…

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  • Call: GenAI & Creative Practices: Past, Present, and Future Conference

    Published:

    Call for Papers: GenAI & Creative Practices: Past, Present, and Future ConferenceDecember 17-18, 2025University of AmsterdamNetherlandshttps://rdt.uva.nl/genai–creative-practices/genai–creative-practices.html Deadline for submission of abstracts: June 5, 2025 Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is fundamentally reshaping our understanding of human-machine interactions. For the first time, machines can generate coherent text, create visually compelling images, produce short videos, and even complete unfinished musical compositions. The widespread adoption of this kind of AI is changing creative production and consumption, reigniting debates on the nature of creativity and its evolving trajectory. AI-driven prompting has introduced new opportunities, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds—including those without technical expertise—to engage in…

    Read more: Call: GenAI & Creative Practices: Past, Present, and Future Conference

  • Family creates AI video to depict Arizona man addressing his killer in court

    Published:

    [This Reuters story, and the excerpts of coverage from the BBC and ABC15 Arizona, describe the use of artificial intelligence to simulate a murder victim at the sentencing of his killer. See the original Reuters story for a second image and a 3:46 minute video (also available on YouTube). For an in-depth essay on this topic, see “Should a Killer’s Victim Be Able to ‘Speak’ at a Sentencing Through AI?” in Reason. -Matthew] [Image: Source: BBC] Family creates AI video to depict Arizona man addressing his killer in court By Liliana Salgado and Andrew GoudswardMay 9, 20254 CHANDLER, ARIZONA –…

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  • Call: “On Games Matters: Innovating Game Studies” Conference

    Published:

    Call for Papers (and proposal for publication): Games Matters: Innovating Game Studies and ResearchSAE Institute – Conservatory of Matera, Polytechnic University of BariDecember 12, 2025Bari, Italyhttps://www.ais-sociologia.it/evento/games-matters-innovating-game-studies-and-research/ Deadline for submission of abstracts: June 30, 2025 The rapid evolution of technology has profoundly influenced the way games are designed, experienced, and interpreted. As a medium that blends artistic vision, technological advancement, and cultural narratives, games represent a fertile ground for examining innovation at multiple levels. The integration of artificial intelligence, procedural generation, immersive technologies, and interactive storytelling has reshaped not only game mechanics but also the very nature of player engagement and…

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  • How VR (and presence) could transform prostate cancer rehabilitation

    Published:

    [Here’s a timely news item related to presence. It’s from the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, where the original includes three more images. Watch a short video of Doug Neilsen using VR on the Institute’s Instagram. Note the link to the new publication, “Patient Perceptions of Virtual Reality in Cancer Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Study”; here’s the abstract: “This study investigates the use of virtual reality (VR) for cancer rehabilitation (CR) among patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Interviews with 20 participants revealed that the engaging visuals and gamified exercise routines of the…

    Read more: How VR (and presence) could transform prostate cancer rehabilitation

  • Call: FTC 2025 – Future Technologies Conference 2025

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2025November 6-7, 2025Munich, Germanyhttps://saiconference.com/FTC/CallforPapers Submission deadline (round 2): June 1, 2025 The Future Technologies Conference presents the best of current systems research and practice, emphasizing innovation and quantified experience. FTC has emerged as a renowned world-wide gathering of academic researchers, Ph.D. and graduate students, leading research institutions and industry technology developers. Join us for FTC 2025, the world’s pre-eminent forum for reporting research breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Data Science, Computing, Ambient Intelligence and related fields.  Previous conferences successfully brought together technology geniuses in one venue to present and share their unique…

    Read more: Call: FTC 2025 – Future Technologies Conference 2025

  • Presence videos: How generative AI is blurring the line between “real” and “fake”

    Published:

    [Rather than a news story, today we have something a little different for an ISPR Presence News post: Two videos, both intended to illustrate the potential for generative artificial intelligence to evoke presence by mimicking recordings of actual people, objects and events. The first video (“The PSAi”) is part of a well-funded media literacy campaign from the Columbia Journalism Review, a music video about how members of the public can distinguish “real” and “fake” media. The second video (“This Film is Lying”) has been posted recently by many different entities on social media platforms and was apparently created by an…

    Read more: Presence videos: How generative AI is blurring the line between “real” and “fake”

  • Call: “From Journalism’s Roots to the AI Frontier: Media and Politics in the New Era” Workshop and ITJ

    Published:

    Call for Abstracts: 30th Annual International Conference on Information Technology and Journalism (ITJ)andIPSA RC10 and RC22 supported workshop:“From Journalism’s Roots to the AI Frontier: Media and Politics in the New Era”September 15-18, 2025Interuniversity Centre DubrovnikDubrovnik, Croatiahttps://www.edemokracija.hr/call-for-abstracts/ Deadline for submission of abstracts: June 1, 2025 “From Journalism’s Roots to the AI Frontier: Media and Politics in the New Era” is a cutting-edge scientific conference bringing together global experts, researchers, and practitioners to explore emerging trends in artificial intelligence applications within media and political strategy. With the rapid advancement of AI tools in data analysis, generative models, and interactive bots, the conference…

    Read more: Call: “From Journalism’s Roots to the AI Frontier: Media and Politics in the New Era” Workshop and ITJ

  • Step into her shoes: VR highlights sexual harassment on trains

    Published:

    [This short story from Glasgow, Scotland radio station Clyde 1 describes a campaign that uses presence-evoking virtual reality to allow train travelers to better understand what it’s like to experience sexual harassment on public transport. See the original version of the story for a 1:54 minute video report via Clyde 1 on X and see RailUK for a closely related story about the campaign at London’s Liverpool Street station. See also a pre-print of the research paper “Walking in Her Shoes: Virtual Reality Increases Male Sensitivity to Catcalling Experiences” by Chiara Lucifora and her colleagues. –Matthew] Step into her shoes:…

    Read more: Step into her shoes: VR highlights sexual harassment on trains

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