AI-in-the-shell

AI in the Shell: Towards an Understanding of Integrated Embodiment

Zhuying Li, Tianze Huang, Rakesh Patibanda, and Florian Mueller. 2023. AI in the Shell: Towards an Understanding of Integrated Embodiment. In Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’23). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 28, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3585867

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Abstract

With technologies becoming increasingly intelligent, the interaction paradigm of Human-Computer Integration where computers and human form a partnership emerged. Most of these works considered computers as separate from users’ embodiment. However, in recent years, technologies are becoming increasingly closer and even interwoven with the human body. Our work asks whether computers can incorporate into one’s embodiment and form a partnership. We call this integrated embodiment. Such a paradigm might facilitate a more direct and intimate partnership between humans and computers. To exemplify the paradigm, we present AI-in-the-Shell, an exoskeleton-based system that enables users to experience having an AI residing in their body. The AI-powered system can make independent decisions and actuate the user’s body to better support their daily tasks and experiences, e.g., to enhance their game performance. We hope this work can extend the current understanding of Human-Computer Integration, and step towards a more complete understanding of integrated embodiment.

Human-Computer Integration highlights a partnership between computers and humans while overlooking how users’ embodiment relates to technologies. Meanwhile, in recent years, technologies have become increasingly closer and even interwoven with the human body to enhance their bodily capabilities, mediating their embodiment and making them feel augmented. This work explores whether computers can incorporate into one’s embodiment and form a partnership with the user.