Is it Me? Toward Self-Extension to AI Avatars in Virtual Reality
This work addresses the experiential consequences of users' speech and actions being assimilated with AI-generated output for individuals using AI avatars in virtual reality.
This paper introduces ProxyMe, a VR prototype where users embody an avatar whose voice and speech content are modified by an AI system. The system explores how AI-modified communication can be experienced as part of one's own expressive behavior, focusing on avatar self-extension.
Advances in generative AI, speech synthesis, and embodied avatars enable systems that not only assist communication, but can act as proxies on users' behalf. Prior work in HCI has largely focused on systems as external tools, with less attention paid to the experiential consequences of users' speech and actions becoming assimilated with AI-generated output. We introduce the design and implementation of ProxyMe, a work-in-progress VR prototype that allows users to embody an avatar whose voice and spoken content are modified by an AI system. By combining avatar-based embodiment, voice cloning, and AI-mediated speech augmentation, ProxyMe invites the exploration of avatar self-extension: situations in which AI-modified communication is experienced as part of one's own expressive behavior. We chart out research challenges and envisioned scenarios, with a focus on how varying degrees of delegation and steerability can influence perceived agency, authorship, and self-identification.