The Future Is Multimodal
摘要
This chapter explores the transformation of AI communication through multimodality—the integration of diverse sensory and symbolic channels, including text, voice, image, gesture, and spatial interaction. It begins by establishing a conceptual foundation for moving from unimodal to multimodal understanding, redefining communication as an embodied, distributed process. Subsequent sections examine how text remains a core anchor, enhanced by non-verbal signals and prosodic variation. The discussion extends to visual and spatial modalities, highlighting their significance for intuitive, immersive, and inclusive interaction. Finally, the chapter investigates the rise of multimodal agents in augmented and virtual realities, where communication unfolds across synergistically orchestrated modalities. This shift enables AI systems not only to interpret more richly but to co-experience and co-create meaning within shared environments. The chapter positions multimodality as a pivotal paradigm in the evolution toward emotionally intelligent, context-sensitive, and human-aligned AI communication.