The Psychology Impact Assessment for Interactional Systems (PSAIS) project, led by Auxane Boch under the Friedrich Schiedel Fellowship at the TUM Think Tank and TUM HfP, has successfully completed its first phase with workshops across Europe, North America and Oceania. Hosted by the TUM Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (TUM IEAI), these sessions brought together experts from diverse disciplines to explore interactional systems’ psychological impacts and develop a preliminary framework for assessment.

Workshop Insights:

  • Europe: Discussions emphasised how interactional technologies can foster social connection, cultural empathy and cognitive growth while addressing challenges like overuse and unrealistic social comparisons.
  • North America: Experts focused on the dual impacts of technology in promoting personal development and skill-building while identifying risks of deskilling identity instability and emotional dependency.
  • Oceania: Experts explored the role of technology in creativity and emotional regulation while addressing overuse and social comparison risks.

Methodology:
Using participatory design and persona-based exercises, participants contributed to psychological impact maps, highlighting key areas such as:

  • Social connectedness and cultural enrichment.
  • Identity exploration and creative self-expression.
  • Emotional regulation and cognitive development.
  • Challenges like social deskilling, dependency and cognitive overload.

Looking Ahead:
In early 2025, the PSAIS project will enter a global consultation phase, engaging experts and stakeholders from diverse cultural contexts to refine and expand the framework. This phase will ensure the framework is robust, inclusive and actionable, guiding the ethical integration of interactional technologies worldwide.

Read the full summaries and learn more about the project here:

Oceania Workshop Summary

North America Workshop Summary

Europe Workshop Summary

Project Team:

  • Researcher: Auxane Boch, TUM IEAI, Friedrich Schiedel Fellow
  • Support Team: Elizabeth Emery, Onur Alpaslan
  • Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Christoph Lütge, Prof. Dr. Jochen Hartmann