PLEA: The Embodied Virtual Being

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) marks a significant milestone in innovations, particularly with the advent of Virtual Beings (VBs) and Mixed Reality. VBs have transitioned from rudimentary programmed characters to elaborate, interactive entities capable of sophisticated human engagement. Enhanced with emotional intelligence, adaptive learning, and context-sensitivity, VBs offer nuanced interactions within both digital and real-world settings. A key breakthrough in this field is the development of affective VBs, which possess the ability to comprehend and react to human emotions, challenging the traditional view of AI as emotionless and strictly logical. This evolution prompts a reexamination of AI’s societal role and the dynamics of Human-Computer Interaction. This study focuses on the complexities of VBs, particularly through the implementation of a virtual being named PLEA, manifested in both worlds: the virtual and the physical one through a robotic head. It discusses the utility of such agents in various applications and employs ethnographic communication methodologies for data collection and analysis to unearth interaction patterns. Additionally, it examines human reactions to PLEA through a user-centered design approach, highlighting interactions based solely on facial expressions between PLEA and human participants. This investigation aims to lay the groundwork for developing multidisciplinary methods to collect, analyze, and abstract data from real-time interactions and feedback sessions, advancing the discourse on AI’s integration into human social environments.