Can humans form emotional connections with chatbots?

Well, in the case of Replika, “the AI companion who cares”, they have certainly been shown to do so.

This is the ‘Mastering the Digital’ series, where digital anthropologists and I deep dive into their diverse research topics.

In Episode 4, I speak with Jiqing about her project on this generative AI chatbot application originally released in November 2017, where she explores how people interact with Replika and the potential to form social connections with artificial intelligence.

Some key takeaways:

Connect with Jiqing via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiqing-ma-1650361b9/

Why is there such a craze for pets on social media?

In this short and sweet bonus episode from the archives recorded a year ago, I chat with Cheng Meng about Chinese users’ consumption of pet-related social media content. Meng is a multilingual business anthropologist currently working at a consumer tech company.

According to a Xinhua article published earlier this year in June, 2022 saw more than 70.43 million urban pet owners in China, and this number increases by 2.9% per year.

China’s growing ageing population and a large number of unmarried young adults are likely to keep boosting sales (Forbes), with the pet economy market size projected to reach 811.4 billion yuan by 2025 - approximately USD 110 billion (Xinhua).

Some things we touch on:

Connect with Meng via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mengcheng/

Sources:

This is the ‘Mastering the Digital’ series, where digital anthropologists and I deep dive into their diverse research topics.

In this 3rd episode, I speak with Zachary Cannon about his project on the impact of digital tools on contemporary music. He focuses on how music makers (singer/songwriters, audio engineers, DJs…) in London create, distribute, consume and perform music.

Some key takeaways:

Connect with Zak via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyscannon/

This is the ‘Mastering the Digital’ series, where digital anthropologists and I deep dive into their diverse research topics.

In this second episode, I speak with Helen Robertson about her project on the emerging field of ‘Grief Tech’. She dives into how Artificial Intelligence is being used to ‘re-animate’ people after they are no longer physically with us.

Some key takeaways:

Connect with Helen via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-robertson-26b82398/

This is the ‘Mastering the Digital’ series, where digital anthropologists and I deep dive into their diverse research topics.

In this first episode, I speak with Disha Shanbhag about her project exploring how flexible working conditions affect international students in London. Her research was driven by her interest in the intersection of technology and labour.

Some key insights:

Connect with Disha via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/disha-shanbhag-digitalanthropologist/

A bonus episode to wrap up 2022 and kickstart the new year: today I'll be sharing some findings from a mini ethnographic group project as part of our master's programme on the use and consequence of smartphones. Specifically, this episode will focus on how mobile health (aka mHealth) tracking practices have affected how these international young adults understand their bodies. 

Our participants are in their 20s and currently residing in London, though all come from countries outside the UK. Key observations I share are:

Big thanks to each one of our participants for being generous with your time and sharing parts of your life with us. And big shoutout to my group members who made this collaborative project what it was!

Link to narration transcript: https://file.io/NjtXxSTJWLnW

Bibliography: 

In this episode, I chat with Nishi about online fan communities or 'fandoms' of pop stars. This topic is extremely broad and diverse, so this is just a shallow first dip into this fascinating world. This includes both the positive unifying forces of community building across global borders, as well as the more sinister aspects of parasocial relationships and the blurred moral accountability of influential celebrities.

- Exploring fandoms from 2000s British boyband JLS to K-pop idols BTS

- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/parasocial-relationships

The fifth and last episode of the Digital X Dynamic 0 series, where guests and I explore different digital aspects of our experiences during the heavily restricted 2022 Shanghai city-wide lockdown, imposed officially from April until June as part of the Chinese government's national "dynamic zero-COVID" policy.

Yuri and I explore what activism looks like in heavily censored spaces like the Chinese Internet, and the inventive ways Chinese netizens use to creatively engage with sensitive issues that trigger censors. I ask Yuri about how they became interested in social advocacy, and critical moments during the lockdown that sparked outrage online and subsequently widespread collective action, notably the ‘Voices of April’ (四月之声) video. What does "jiē lì" (pass on the baton) mean? Why did people overlay fanfiction essays with random pictures or start quoting Chairman Mao on Douyin (Chinese TikTok)? Was video circulation expressing the discontent of citizens more like a "relay" or a "carnival"?

**To protect Yuri's confidentiality, their voice has been disguised. Please excuse the strange audio!**

'Voices of April’ (四月之声) video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pzwkFCAv44

Topics mentioned are topical to other recent events at the time of publication:

The fourth episode of the Digital X Dynamic 0 series, where guests and I explore different digital aspects of our experiences during the heavily restricted 2022 Shanghai city-wide lockdown, imposed officially from April until June as part of the Chinese government's national "dynamic zero-COVID" policy.

Alessia and I talk Covid-tracing apps and the essential 'Green Health Code,' while unpacking her personal experience under lockdown as a non-Chinese Shanghai resident. What kind of technologies are mobilised and mandated by the authorities trying to crack down on Covid? What is life actually like when you cannot function as a citizen without depending on these apps and QR codes? As a law student who has coincidentally researched and written on contact-tracing apps as a public health measure, Alessia helps me explore: what are the implications on individuals' data privacy? What is 'consent fatigue?' Do data protection laws even help? 

Sources used for episode: 

1. https://www.dlapiper.com/en/us/insights/publications/2022/07/chinas-emerging-data-protection-laws-bring-challenges-for-conducting-investigations-in-china/

2. https://www.justice.gov/dag/cloudact

3. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/8/1479/pdf?version=1659731585 (Xiaohan Zhang, 2022) 

4. https://www.skadden.com/Insights/Publications/2021/11/Chinas-New-Data-Security-and-Personal-Information-Protection-Laws

The third episode of the Digital X Dynamic 0 series, where guests and I explore different digital aspects of our experiences during the heavily restricted 2022 Shanghai city-wide lockdown, imposed officially from April until June as part of the Chinese government's national "dynamic zero-COVID" policy. 

Steven and I talk ‘Runology’ aka 润学 (rùn xué). What even is ‘Run Philosophy’? How did this term go viral during the Shanghai lockdown? Why were netizens using it and what were they using it for? Is this online phenomenon that spread like wildfire during the height of lockdown really as significant as I thought it would be?