This 75-second video essay pitches my research on AI personas, the friendly "personalities" that chatbots and voice assistants present to users. I wrote the script to do in a minute what my paper does in twenty pages. I produced it with AI tools on purpose, since the presenter is itself an AI persona.
For employers, it's a sample of short-form scripting and multimedia production. It's captioned, and a full transcript is below.
Read the transcript
Hi, and welcome to my profile. My name is Ima Student and I'm excited that you're interested in my academic research on the use of AI personas like myself.
My argument is that AI personas that people interact with daily aren't accidental. They're carefully crafted interfaces, shaping our relationship with technology. These digital masks conceal complex computation behind friendly facades while simultaneously reflecting our expectations.
When Claude presents as thoughtful or ChatGPT as helpful, they trigger our social instincts. We respond to these artificial personalities as if they were real, seeking connection, deferring to perceived expertise, and projecting human qualities. This anthropomorphism creates both opportunity and risk.
By understanding AI personas as designed experiences rather than authentic entities, we can better navigate the growing landscape of artificial interaction without surrendering our critical awareness. If you dive into my paper, you'll learn more.
Credits: The headshot image is from thispersondoesnotexist.com. The voice was generated with OpenAI.fm, and D-ID created the video. Captions were generated in Descript and corrected by hand.