UTFacultiesETDepartmentsDPMNews and EventsCristina Zaga at CHI 2022 with a critical computing paper

Cristina Zaga at CHI 2022 with a critical computing paper The HCD assistant professor at the leading and exclusive conference in human-computer interaction

Dr. Cristina Zaga is representing the DPM department and the Human-Centred Design Group at  ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI2022).

She presents a paper led by dr. Minha Lee from TUe, about conversational interfaces. The title:  Conversational Futures: Emancipating Conversational Interactions for Futures Worth Wanting. The paper focuses on the critical design of AI-driven technology and how to bring the human back into the equation. 

The ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems series of academic conferences is generally considered the most prestigious in the field of human–computer interaction and is one of the top-ranked conferences in computer science. Only top research and papers are accepted at the conference. 

The paper is available from Monday the 10th of May  at this DOI: 10.1145/3411764.3445244

Here's an abstract of the paper: 

We present a vision for conversational user interfaces (CUIs) as probes for speculating with, rather than as objects to speculate about. Popular CUIs, e.g., Alexa, are changing the way we converse, narrate, and imagine the world(s) to come. Yet, current conversational interactions normatively may promote non-desirable ends, delivering a restricted range of request-response interactions with sexist and digital colonialist tendencies. Our critical design approach envisions alternatives by considering how future voices can reside in CUIs as enabling probes. We present novel explorations that illustrate the potential of CUIs as critical design material, by critiquing present norms and conversing with imaginary species. As micro-level interventions, we show that conversations with diverse futures through CUIs can persuade us to critically shape our discourse on macro-scale concerns of the present, e.g., sustainability. We reflect on how conversational interactions with pluralistic, imagined futures can contribute to how being human stands to change.