[This story from Politico describes the fast-evolving use of artificial intelligence trained on internet sources including political candidates’ video appearances and writings to simulate the candidates’ responses to questions from voters and debates with each other, with results increasingly likely to evoke presence and be at turns entertaining (as in the TrumpOrBiden2024 parody) and educational. Is this the future of political campaigns? –Matthew] [Image: Screenshot of AI avatars of Joe Biden and Donald Trump “debating” on TrumpOrBiden2024 on Twitch] Prepare yourself. A Donald Trump chatbot is about to be unleashed. A project called Chat2024 will officially unveil the AI-powered avatars…

[This very personal essay from Slate describes the author’s complex reactions to using presence-evoking technologies to see new images of her deceased parents and process her grief over their loss. For more on this topic see “Bringing the Past into the Present: Memorial Art as a Family Heirloom” in Foreign Policy, and “Using Generative AI to Resurrect the Dead Will Create a Burden for the Living” in Wired. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Illustration by Slate; photos by Getty Images Plus] I Used TikTok and Snapchat to See My Deceased Parents Again It felt weird, but it helped me process my grief.…

[For many years local news programs have featured heartwarming stories about individual school children using a telepresence robot to attend class remotely because they have conditions or illnesses that prevent them from attending in person. Now, a story from Japan, relayed in the Futurism report below, describes a new use of the robots: to ease student anxiety and increase attendance levels. See also a related story from Business Insider about the use of robots for school security, including to distract and confront intruders. –Matthew] [Image: A classroom of humanoid robots. Credit: Donald Iain Smith / Getty Images] Japanese Schools Installing…

[One of the many interesting experiences available at the 2023 edition of the emergent technology showcase Venice Immersive was Tulpamancer, which uses generative artificial intelligence and virtual reality to create a vivid, interactive, personalized version of a user’s memories and dreams. The project is described in this story from The Hollywood Reporter; follow the link at the end for a 1:52 minute video from the experience. For much more about other experiences presented at Venice Immersive see: “Venice’s Brave New World: My Cosmic Trip to Immersion Island and Back” (The Guardian) “Venice Film Festival 2023 Is Cinematic AI’s Coming Out…

[This abridged version of a New Yorker story describes the goals, challenges and benefits of a full-time, all-virtual school for children up to the eighth grade. See the original version for more details about the founders and operators of OptimaEd and the politics involved. –Matthew] Virtual-Reality School Is the Next Frontier of the School-Choice Movement The conservative education activist Erika Donalds envisions a world where parents can opt out of traditional public school by putting their kids in a headset. By Emma Green September 1, 2023 It’s 6 a.m. A little girl, who looks to be about ten years old,…

[A recent social media trend suggests an intriguing variant of inverse presence (where instead of overlooking the role of technology in a mediated experience, people perceive technology where there is none). A story in JING Daily (“The Business of Luxury in China”) introduces the phenomenon this way: “In 2023, the idea of virtual humans is nothing new. Lil Miquela, a virtual model created by a Los Angeles-based startup, has 3 million followers on Instagram and kissed Bella Hadid for a Calvin Klein campaign. Imma, the first virtual human in Japan, has partnered with brands like SK-II, Tommy Jeans and Fenty.…

[A senior researcher from the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol and the founder of the consulting and research organization Limina Immersive have co-authored a new study about the dangers of immersive media for children. The UWE Bristol press release below is followed by an abridged version of coverage by Sky News. The report is available on the website of the sponsoring organization, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). –Matthew] New research reveals how virtual reality poses significant risk to children Media Relations Team September 5, 2023 A new study co-authored by UWE…

[The UK’s Birmingham Royal Ballet is using presence-evoking technologies to bring the experiences of the Ballet to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity. See the original version of this story from The Guardian for a second image, and follow the “new projects” link in the story for more information and examples. –Matthew] [Image: Four people wearing head-mounted displays, seated below a row of framed pictures. Credit: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian] Birmingham Royal Ballet uses virtual reality to make dance more accessible Company aims to allow those unable to go to the theatre, including neurodivergent people, the elderly and children,…

[As this press release from the University of Bath notes, the role of individual differences in presence experiences has received much less attention from scholars than the characteristics of the technologies used to evoke presence. A new study demonstrates the role of a person’s “imaginative suggestibility” and has broad implications. See the open access article for details and additional material including three videos (one is the authors’ ten minute presentation from CHI 2023).  –Matthew] [Image: Source: CAMERA] Suggestible people feel more present in virtual reality – study finds Having a good imagination and high levels of suggestibility makes you feel…

[This interview from Nature provides a personal perspective on the use of virtual reality and presence to introduce school children in rural areas of Africa to what it’s like to work in a lab as a researcher and show them how science contributes to society. –Matthew] [Image: Patience Kiyuka hopes that virtual-reality tours of research labs will inspire more young people to consider science careers. Credit: Courtesy of Patience Kiyuka] How virtual reality is helping to boost scientific engagement in rural Africa Immunologist Patience Kiyuka explains her use of the latest technologies to show young people what it is like…

[This CNN story reports on the process of creating and experiencing recorded music performances for virtual reality. The performer doesn’t have the energy of the audience during the recording and the viewer’s experience is limited to the perspectives provided by the moving camera as well as the characteristics of any virtual audience members, but there are also significant advantages to the format. The original version of the story includes two more images; for more information see the AmazeVR website and “AI Rap Stars? Virtual Reality Concerts? The Future of Hip-hop is Here” from MSNBC’s The ReidOut. –Matthew] [Image: T-Pain films…

[This CBC story describes a creative and boundary-extending use of virtual reality and presence in a theater experience designed by Chris Salter, the Director of the Immersive Arts Space at the Zurich University of the Arts. See the original story for four more pictures. The Montreal shows have unfortunately ended but you can find out more about Animate on the MUTEK website. –Matthew] [Image: An audience in the Italian city of Paestum watches a performance of the VR-enhanced play Animate by director Chris Salter. Credit: Megan Williams/CBC] Canadian play on climate change brings digital and physical worlds crashing together VR…