This grant will allow me to expand on the research carried out during my automation fellowship, exploring how we feel when interacting with conversational AI about our mental health and wellbeing. What makes a meaningful connection and what causes barriers in these types of relationships?
I will work towards creating a public installation exploring how we feel about the place of technology in the treatment of our own well-being. The installation will invite participants to discuss their hopes and fears about how technology is being used in this way, as well as future use cases. I hope to encourage a conversation around the moral and social responsibility that companies have when developing technology to provide companionship or mental health support.