Empathic Nuances of Machine-Mediated Asylum-Seeker Narratives

An Empirical Study

in Projections
Author:
Robert G. McNamara Researcher, Tallinn University, Estonia robertmc@tlu.com

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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1649-3295
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Pia Tikka Research Professor, Tallinn University, Estonia piatikka@tlu.ee

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3167/proj.2024.180107
Keywords:
ChatGPT4; computer-generated characters; empathy; narrative; technological mediation; the uncanny
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Abstract

The use of artificial human-like agents within the legal context of immigration is still a largely understudied topic. We employed a computer- generated asylum seeker with a narrative interpolated by ChatGPT4 to examine whether “uncanniness” in machine-mediation affected empathic decision-making. In an online study, 466 participants were instructed on the United Nations’ legal standard for granting asylum. They were then asked to simulate the role of an immigration officer by deciding whether an asylum narrative, conveyed either by written text or spoken by a computer- generated asylum seeker, met the standard. Results show that regardless of the narrative's mode of delivery, the same facts overwhelmingly led to the granting of asylum. Our findings encourage new applications of machine-mediated approaches to the promotion of social justice initiatives.

Contributor Notes

Robert G. McNamara is a PhD Candidate in Audiovisual Arts and Media Studies and a Junior Researcher at Tallinn University's Baltic Film, Media, and Arts School. He has a background in American criminal law and has done public defense work for nearly a decade in New York State. Additionally, he has degrees related to audio-visual ethnography and Eastern classics. His research focuses on ethical, socio-political, anthropological, and legal aspects of employing tools of virtuality across media. As a member of Tallinn University's Enactive Virtuality Lab, he co-authored journal papers with the team related to social issues surrounding the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual avatars. ORCID: 0000-0003-1649-3295. Email: robertmc@tlu.com

Dr. Pia Tikka is a Professional Filmmaker and Research Professor at the Baltic Film, Media, and Arts School, Tallinn University, Estonia. She holds the honorary titles of Adjunct Professor of New Narrative Media at the University of Lapland, Fellow of the Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image, and Member of the European Film Academy. She has directed feature films, interactive films, and VR installations, and has had creative roles in various international film productions. In 2017, she founded the Enactive Virtuality Lab, which is associated with the MEDIT Centre of Excellence at Tallinn University. Currently, she studies creative decision-making from a neurophenomenological perspective, based on her previous work on the topics of enactive media, complex narrative systems, and neurocinematics. Email: piatikka@tlu.ee

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Projections

The Journal for Movies and Mind

Cover Projections
Article Category:
Research Article
Page Count:
20
Keywords:
ChatGPT4; computer-generated characters; empathy; narrative; technological mediation; the uncanny
Print Publication Date:
01 Mar 2024
Online Publication Date:
01 Mar 2024
Copyright:
© The Author/s 2024

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