Interactive Technologies Institute at CHI 2024
The Interactive Technologies Institute participated in the CHI 2024 Conference, the premier international event on Human-Computer Interaction, organized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). This year’s conference, themed “Surfing the World,” took place in Hawaiʻi, from May 11-16. The Interactive Technologies Institute is excited to contribute to this wave of technological advancement with three groundbreaking studies.
Prompt-Gaming: A Pilot Study on LLM-Evaluating Agent in a Meaningful Energy Game
Authors: Andrés Isaza-Giraldo, Paulo Bala, Pedro F. Campos, Lucas Pereira
Building on previous work integrating large language models (LLMs) in gaming, this study explores the potential of using LLMs as evaluating agents in serious games. The focus is on a sustainability game prototype that uses a natural language prompt about energy communities. The game was tested with 13 participants using ChatGPT-3.5. Before playing, only two participants were aware of energy communities, but by the end, eight of the remaining 11 had gained valuable knowledge on the topic. ChatGPT-3.5’s evaluations of player interactions were compared to expert assessments, and it correctly evaluated 81% of the players’ answers. These results highlight the potential of LLMs in mediating educational experiences and simplifying game prototyping through natural language prompts.
Conveying Emotions through Shape-changing to Children with and without Visual Impairment
Authors: Isabel Neto, Yuhan Hu, Filipa Correia, Filipa Rocha, Guy Hoffman, Hugo Nicolau, Ana Paiva
This study investigates the use of shape-changing skin as a modality to convey emotions to children, both with and without visual impairments. The softness and flexibility of shape-changing skin make it an adaptable and engaging medium for interactive devices. A user study involving 50 children (26 with visual impairments) was conducted to explore their emotional associations with various skin shapes and movement conditions. Findings reveal that shape-emotional mappings differ based on visual abilities, emphasizing the influence of visual experiences on tactile vocabulary and emotional interpretation. The study concludes with recommendations for inclusive design in shape-changing devices to better cater to children with diverse visual abilities.
Bias by Default.: Neocolonial Visual Vocabularies in AI Image Generating Design Practices
Authors: Fábio Almeida, Sónia Rafael
This study explores the impact of AI image generators on co-creation and image-making, focusing on the representational harms they can cause. By analysing images produced from the prompt “imagine a religious person,” the study reveals that these AI models predominantly reflect the Christian patriarchal culture of the West. When the prompt is applied across various countries, the resulting images show intensified biases and cultural amalgamations. The research employs the concept of data colonialism to examine how social hierarchies and linguistic ideologies influence the default visual outputs of these models. The study advocates for a decolonial approach in design to address and mitigate biases, enriching discussions on the role of generative models in diverse social contexts and offering fresh perspectives for design practices.
DCitizens Roles Unveiled: SIG Navigating Identities in Digital Civics and the Spectrum of Societal Impact
Authors: Anna R. L. Carter, Kyle Montague, Reem Talhouk, Shaun Lawson, Hugo Nicolau, Ana Cristina Pires, Markus Rohde, Alessio Del Bue, Tiffany Knearem
Additionally, the DCitizens project hosted a Special Interest Group (SIG) aiming to navigate ethical dimensions in forthcoming Digital Civics projects, ensuring enduring benefits and community resilience. Additionally, it seemed to shape the future landscape of digital civics for ethical and sustainable interventions.
The participation of ITI researchers at CHI 2024 underscores our commitment to advancing the field of human-computer interaction through innovative and inclusive research. By exploring the potential of LLMs in educational games and the emotional impact of shape-changing interfaces, our studies contribute valuable insights and pave the way for future technological developments.
