Abstract

Through the rise of virtual assistance in everyday life, the question of how to design an AI visually become more prominent. Appearance, demeanour and personality can influence how an AI is perceived. Additionally, the use of synchronization with an avatar can be beneficial in how close it appears. In this work, we conducted qualitative and quantitative research to understand how an avatar for a conversational AI might have to look like. We revealed that a virtual avatar could be perceived as attractive and that this can help with the first impression. Additionally, we realized that three-dimensional avatars are apprehended as "more realistic" than two-dimensional characters. The successfully tested design was then used in an experiment. Participants got to know the avatar "personally" over a week via Twitter, where the avatar would present itself as an average person. To test the possible influence, two groups were established to interact with two differently designed personas for the AI. We noticed that the personalities did influence the participants. Participants interacting with a friendly AI beforehand were more likely to react positively towards it. In contrast, unpleasant experiences with an unfriendly AI were taken into account when encountering the avatar. Additionally, we confirmed that physical synchrony with an avatar over a virtual call is possible. After a physical exercise enabling synchrony, participants were more likely to interact with gestures towards the avatar.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

Conclusion

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