Technology has become deeply woven into the practices of faith communities who engage in shared prayer, online worship, or meditation. Despite a growing body of research on religious/spiritual practices, the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community has yet to fully investigate Techno-Spirituality, especially through a first-person approach. We explored prayer experiences to understand which elements evoke such experiences from a Christian perspective. We present results from an eight-month autoethnographic study of private prayer by the first author, also a community member, while incorporating both technological (e.g., a Muse 2 electroencephalogram headband) and non-technological (e.g., religious iconography) media. We reflect on emerging practices and limitations of integrating technology during Christian prayer. This paper provides empirical insights on spiritual practices with technologies, and contributes to discourses on Techno-Spirituality in HCI.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713557
The rise of generative AI technology has sparked interest in using digital information to create AI-generated agents as digital legacy. These agents, often referred to as "AI Afterlives", present unique challenges compared to traditional digital legacy. Yet, there is limited human-centered research on "AI Afterlife" as digital legacy, especially from the perspectives of the individuals being represented by these agents. This paper presents a qualitative study examining users' perceptions, expectations, and concerns regarding AI-generated agents as digital legacy. We identify factors shaping people's attitudes, their perceived differences compared with the traditional digital legacy, and concerns they might have in real practices. We also examine the design aspects throughout the life cycle and interaction process. Based on these findings, we situate "AI Afterlife" in digital legacy, and delve into design implications for maintaining identity consistency and balancing intrusiveness and support in "AI Afterlife" as digital legacy.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713933
This paper presents the design process, outcomes, and installation of ShamAIn, a multi-modal embodiment of conversational AI inspired by the beliefs and symbols of Korean shamanism. Adopting a research-through-design approach, we offer an alternative perspective on conversational AI design, emphasizing perceived superiority. ShamAIn was developed based on strategies derived from investigating people's experiences with shamanistic counseling and rituals. We deployed the system in an exhibition room for six weeks, during which 20 participants made multiple visits to engage with ShamAIn. Through subsequent in-depth interviews, we found that participants felt a sense of awe toward ShamAIn and engaged in interactions with humility and respect. Our participants disclosed personal and profound concerns, reflecting deeply on the responses they received. Consequently, they relied on ShamAIn and formed relationships in which they received support. In the discussion, we present the design implications of conversational AI perceived as superior to humans, along with the ethical considerations involved in designing such AI.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3714297
Meditation and mind-body practices offer many benefits for both mental and physical well-being. Recently, social virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising platform to support well-being activities. While Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research has explored technologies for meditation, little is known about how users appropriate social VR for meditation, particularly group practice, and how it shapes their experiences. To bridge this gap, we interviewed 13 regular social VR meditators to explore their practices, perceived benefits, and challenges. We found that meditators utilized platform features to engage in community-driven group practices, manage session flow, employ avatars and body tracking for kinetic practices, and experiment with novel forms of meditation. Participants reported benefits and challenges related to the individual and social aspects of their meditation experiences. Based on these findings, we discuss the implications of using social VR for meditation, including how avatars and virtual others positively affect the practice, as well as emerging tensions and opportunities.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713172
Interactive Digital Testimonies (IDTs) allow users to learn virtually about the life stories of contemporary witnesses as recounted by the witnesses themselves. Although several IDTs have been created in recent years, there is little empirical research on their effects on users. We investigated how different levels of visual modality (audio-only, audio-visual 2D, audio-visual stereoscopic 3D) affect user perception by conducting two separate mixed-methods studies: A 2x2 between-subjects study comparing audio-only with audio-visual 2D in in-person and online settings (n = 82) and a within-subjects study comparing audio-visual 2D with audio-visual stereoscopic 3D (n = 51). We found that audio-visual 2D improves user experience, immersion, and perceived authenticity over audio-only versions. Audio-visual 3D IDTs are more authentic and immersive than audio-visual 2D IDTs, however, this is diminished by a less comfortable interaction. Our findings broaden empirical research on user perception of realistic Embodied Conversational Agents and help guide future thanatosensitive designs.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713111
Accumulating a life history is a valuable resource for understanding self and reflecting on personal historical experience, which could be developed through diary writing. To facilitate the recording of past events in a diary, we designed and implemented Rebulb, a system that enables users to engage with reflective questions about proud moments and document memories evoked for accumulating one's life history. Our four-month field study with three participants showed that users intentionally and spontaneously recalled vague and wide memories during their daily activity and then concretized these memories by writing them down in a journal. The study also revealed that regardless of whether the memories were positive or negative, the current state of the user played a crucial role in how these memories were processed and reflected upon. Our finding imply consideration in designing a tool for supporting the recall and documentation of past experiences.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713215
Bereavement often places a psychological burden on families and should be addressed appropriately. Although end-of-life care is a collaborative activity with interaction between family caregivers and medical professionals, further research is needed to explore family caregivers’ support needs as collaborative workers and the challenges they face. This study examined the collaboration during the end-of-life process between family caregivers and medical professionals to understand the cooperative activities and factors surrounding them based on unrealized or regrettable experiences during end-of-life care. Semi-structured interviews with bereaved family caregivers who provided end-of-life care and medical professionals who provided support revealed that family caregivers’ aspirations and medical professionals’ support for family caregivers crossed paths, steering end-of-life caregiving in an unintended direction. Characteristic work carried out by each actor in this situation is defined as "unintended, percolated work" and considered an overlooked collaboration opportunity, proposing support suggestions for handling family caregivers’ original intentions and needs.
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3706598.3713552