Recent Articles

Will AI Kill Imaginary Friends?

An invited essay for Zocalo Public Square on how AI companions are different from imaginary friends and the impact these relationships have on children.

Read it here

Recent Conversations

"Sexting with Gemini"

The Atlantic

A conversation with Lil Shroff at The Atlantic about AI chatbots for kids, how they can shape learning and what they are currently being designed for.

"How Smart Do Toys Needs to Be, Really?"

Vox

A conversation with Adam Clark Estes at Vox about smart toys for kids and whether or not smart tech is really needed to support young children's pretend play.

Conversation about chatbots and their use

Think Out Loud, OBP

A conversation with David Miller at Oregon Public Broadcast about children's relationships with AI chatbots and the risks they pose for social and emotional development.

Asian boy playing with his rabbit plush toy

"Imaginary Relationships, Real Happiness"

Happiness Science Labs

A conversation with Marie Stella Quek at Happiness Science labs about imaginary relationships and how they impact our real-world functioning.

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"The Digital Human"

BBC Radio 4

A conversation with Aleks Krotoski at BBC Radio 4 about relationships with AI chatbots and if they are similar to relationships with imaginary friends.

"Eeney, Meeny, Mighty Tech"

Children and Screens

A presentation with other children's media experts on young children's parasocial relationships with media characters and how they support children's learning.

Recent Talks

Understanding LLMs and their social impact

This talk walked attendees through how the algorithms of large language models (LLMs) work by focusing on human infants' language acquisition. Using infant language development as a guide, this talk will also included how design features of LLMs make it possible for us to form relationships with them, and how these relationships can impact individuals and society as a whole.

Invited Talks

Inventing our own relationships

This talk explored the history of the ways in which we invent relationships for ourselves, and how this set the stage for the budding relationship we now have with AI chatbots. This talk also covered the design features and psychological mechanisms that drive us to form these relationships, and what benefits and risks they pose.

Want to know more?

First, check out my independent and collaborative research. Then, let's connect!

Reach out to chat with me about all things related to imagination, AI companions, and relationships in the digital age.

Online teaching and learning research:

naomi.aguiar@oregonstate.edu

Research on relationships with AI chatbots:

naomi.aguiar@gmail.com