What is it about?
This research explores how people understand and feel about emotional recognition (ER) technology, which detects emotions using tools like facial recognition and wearable devices. We used fictional stories (called "design fiction") set in intimate everyday scenarios to spark discussions and creativity in workshops. Participants imagined and built prototypes for future technologies that could sense and respond to emotions while considering social and ethical impacts.
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Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash
Why is it important?
As emotional AI becomes more common in our lives—impacting areas like healthcare, education, and family—it’s crucial to understand how it shapes emotions and relationships. Our study highlights how people interact with these technologies, what concerns arise (like privacy and emotional manipulation), and how we can design systems that are ethical, empathetic, and culturally relevant for a more desirable, collective future.
Perspectives
Working on this project was an eye-opening experience that combined storytelling, technology, and culture. It was inspiring to see how participants reimagined emotional technology with both creativity and critical thinking. We hope this work shows how speculative storytelling can guide the design of future AI systems that truly understand and respect human emotions.
HCI Researcher Yang Hong
National Chiao Tung University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Exploring the Reciprocal Emotional Interaction Between Humans and Affective Technology Through Design Fictions and “Speculative Entanglement”, January 2023, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-42141-9_3.
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