SentimentVoice: Integrating Emotion AI and VR in Performing Arts
In collaboration with:
Alberto Cano, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering, VCU
(Image credit: Rayna Hugo)
SentimentVoice is a live VR performance art project that employs emotion-tracking AI technology to amplify the narratives of immigrant populations. This endeavor delves into the realm of emotional surveillance, revealing the vulnerabilities and insecurities surrounding emotion data. Furthermore, it aims to raise public awareness about the critical issues of surveillance and cybersecurity.
Emotion tracking AI, such as lie detectors and facial recognition, has been employed to establish controlled and monitored environments, often with a focus on minority populations. Nevertheless, it’s important to recognize that emotion data can also be harnessed to cultivate empathy, foster profound connections, and promote mutual understanding.
SentimentVoice explores two facets of AI: surveillance and empathy.
The human voice and speech will serve as the material for performance art, which will be detected and analyzed by emotion AI. This analysis will encompass various technologies, including face tracking, eye tracking, the Chat GPT API, voice analysis, speech-to-text conversion, biofeedback, and more.
(Commonwealth Cyber Initiative grant award 2023)
