Self-Animated Characters in Augmented Reality for Emotional Intelligence and Personal Empowerment

Abstract

Some people say technology is morally neutral - it's the humans that take it in a positive or negative direction. The problem with this idea is that humans are the ones who make the technology in the first place, so it's never really neutral. Most would agree that educational technology is generally focused in a positive direction. However, when educational technology borrows tools and components from the commercial world (which is almost unavoidable), some bad comes along with the good. I believe that corporate-driven commercial technology is driving us apart at the same time that it is bringing us together. And it is also separating us from our original nature. Mother Nature is our best teacher; we need our technology to bring us closer to ourselves, and the original nature from which we emerge. Our natural ancestry will remain deep in our DNA, even as we ride the fast train to post-humanism. Educational technology needs to take this into account - as we make the slow and painful exit from brick-and-mortar School to the open Commons of technical empowerment. There is a lot of talk about artificial intelligence these days. But AI is largely built upon language, algorithms, and symbol manipulation - requiring the activation of the outer-most layers of neocortex. The limbic system, cerebellum, and visual cortex are old - they play a key role in how we learn, remember, and navigate the complex world with all our senses. Can artificial intelligence be deployed to engage these ancient and comprehensive facets of our mammalian brains? Could artificial intelligence be evolved by teachers, students, artists and lovers – and not just by Google engineers? Can it be driven by other goals besides corporate profit?