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<p class="p1"><b><i>The 1st International Workshop on Design Fiction for Human-Agent Interaction and Mental Health</i></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">@ HAI 2025, Yokohama, Japan *** 10th November 2025<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/ivafuture/home">https://sites.google.com/view/futurewellbeing/home</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p2"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="p1">The 1st International Workshop on Design Fiction for Human-Agent Interaction and Mental Health will explore the potential implementations of human-agent interaction and mental health, with a specific focus on virtual companions. To achieve this,
we will be using design fiction to anticipate individual, societal, ethical, and cultural implications. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p2"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="p1">This workshop explores the role of virtual companions in mental health contexts through the lens of design fiction. Advances in generative AI and large language models have accelerated the development and adoption of virtual companions—agents
that can form relationships with users. While these systems present opportunities for support and wellbeing, they also raise critical concerns around<b>
</b>privacy, data use, emotional vulnerability, and cultural stereotypes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p2"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="p1">The aim of this workshop is to critically examine these issues and collaboratively explore speculative futures of virtual companions in mental health. Using design fiction methods—including speculative scenarios, artifacts, and sci-fi prototyping—participants
will investigate the societal, ethical, and cultural implications of human-agent interaction in this sensitive domain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">We welcome submissions from a broad range of disciplines such as engineering, computer science, psychology, sociology, cognitive science, and design. Topics include, but are not limited to: <o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="li1" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Exploration of how virtual companions can affect users' mental health<o:p></o:p></li><li class="li1" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">The design of virtual companions (both avatar design and behavioral design) and how this affects user trust<o:p></o:p></li><li class="li1" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">The risks of reinforcing stereotypes, especially gender stereotypes<o:p></o:p></li><li class="li1" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Ethical concerns regarding the use of virtual companions for mental health purposes <o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="p1"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"><b>IMPORTANT DATES - Workshop Papers (2-4 pages)</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">10th October 2025: Paper Submissions<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">17th October 2025: Notifications<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"><b>SUBMISSIONS: </b><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/ivafuture/home"><span class="s1"><span style="color:blue">https://sites.google.com/view/futurewellbeing/home</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"><b>ORGANIZERS</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">Negin Hashmati, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">Therése Skoog, University of Gothenburg, Sweden<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">Mohammad Obaid, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1">Thommy Eriksson, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="p1"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Negin Hashmati </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">(she/her)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">PhD Student in Interaction Design<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none">Division of Interaction Design and Software Engineering<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Computer Science and Engineering</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://www.chalmers.se/en/" title="https://www.chalmers.se/en/"><span style="color:#467886">Chalmers
University of Technology</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:16.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;mso-ligatures:none">Gothenburg, Sweden</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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