AI at CJC News

The field of human-machine communication has grown exponentially over  the past 10 years with the advancement of new artificial intelligence technology. Research on HMC has also exploded focusing on both the technology itself and the implications for users and society.

As more uses for technology emerge, researchers are interested in studying which mechanism of technology, such as chatbots, voice assistants, and social robots, are most effective in explaining social presence and perceived trustworthiness for users. In other words, how do people tend to interact with different forms of interactive technology?

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications today announced that Dr. Yang Feng will be joining the College this fall as Advertising Associate Professor in Artificial Intelligence, working in the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology. Feng is currently Associate Professor in Advertising at San Diego State…

Marketers are increasingly taking advantage of AI strategies when interacting with prospective customers, particularly in data collection and message targeting. But how consumers perceive or understand the use of AI in marketing has been unclear.

As artificial intelligence technology has advanced, its use has expanded to a range of industries, including broadcast news. AI could be used in place of a human weather newscaster, for example, if a human is not available during a weather emergency. Yet little research exists that looks at how people perceive AI newscasters.

Kun Xu, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Media Production, Management, and Technology assistant professor in emerging media, is the co-author of “Man vs. Machine: Human Responses to an AI Newscaster and the Role of Social Presence” published in The Social Science Journal on Jan. 28. Xu and…

Huan Chen, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising associate professor, Sylvia Chan-Olmsted, Media Production, Management, and Technology professor and Media Consumer Research director, doctoral student Julia Kim, and master’s student Irene Mayor Sanabria are the authors of “Consumers’ Perception on Artificial Intelligence Applications in Marketing Communication” published…

The use of smart speakers, such as Alexa and Google Assistant, has become ubiquitous in American society. UFCJC researchers wanted to better understand the different ways people use the devices, as well as identify the main strategies they use to protect their privacy during that use.

The primary function of “social robots” is to facilitate communication with humans, and is being applied in a variety of industries, including education and physical and mental health. Dr. Kun Xu is studying how to enhance that communication through voice, gestures and other social cues.

Doctoral student Fanjue Liu is exploring how AI-enabled virtual assistants, like Alexa or Siri, can mitigate feelings of loneliness and isolation, particularly during the pandemic.

Jasmine McNealy, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications associate director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project and associate professor, Media Production, Management, and Technology, will be a member of a Women in HPC (High Performance Computing) and AI virtual panel on Oct. 5 at noon.  …

Doctoral student Yoo Jin Chung discusses her research on AI-enabled virtual influencers on social media, and how social media users react to virtual vs. human influencers.