Appearance and voice feel real, the explanation is convincing – but something is off. At that exact moment, fascination turns into discomfort: welcome to the so-called uncanny valley, the unsettling gap between human and human-like.
In the new episode of our podcast, Jasmin Baake talks with host Dr. Matthias Begenat about her current research on AI-generated avatars and their effects on us as humans. The central question: what about trust in artificial avatars in science communication? Jasmin Baake explores when artificial avatars help us and when they undermine our trust. Her study “Balancing Realism and Trust: AI Avatars In Science Communication,” which she published together with Josephine B. Schmitt and Julia Metag, provides important insights into how to handle generative AI in science communication.
About the study: Baake, J., Schmitt, J., & Metag, J. (2025). Balancing Realism and Trust: AI Avatars In Science Communication. Journal of Science Communication, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.22323/2.24020203
Recommendations on the topic
- dieFilmfabrik. (2015, Dezember 6). CGI des Grauens – Das ist das Uncanny Valley [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxu9OYesTe8
- Buolamwini, J. (2024). Unmasking AI: My mission to protect what is human in a world of machines. Random House.
- Block, E., & Lovegrove, R. (2021). Discordant storytelling, “honest fakery,” identity peddling: How uncanny CGI characters are jamming public relations and influencer practices. Public Relations Inquiry, 10(3), 265–293. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2046147X211026936
- Stein, J. P., Breves, P. L., & Anders, N. (2024). Parasocial interactions with real and virtual influencers: The role of perceived similarity and human-likeness. New Media & Society, 26(6), 3433–3453. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14614448221102900
- Duckwitz, A. (2024, Oktober). „21-year-old robot living in LA“ – Die schöne neue Welt der KI-Influencer. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung – Die Politische Meinung. https://www.kas.de/de/web/die-politische-meinung/artikel/detail/-/content/21-year-old-robot-living-in-la
