Virtual reality pubs with AI patrons were once the stuff of science fiction. But advances in AI and VR have enabled Prof Paul Best to create one at Queen’s University Belfast – and use it to treat people who experience social anxiety.
Within this lively digital space, built by a VR production company Propeer Solutions, people who usually prepare extensively for conversations can experience having an unstructured one with an AI character. “Small talk is extremely daunting for somebody with social phobia,” says Best, director of the university’s Technological Innovation in Mental Health and Education (TIME) Centre. “This virtual environment provides people with social anxiety an opportunity to practise, make ‘mistakes’ in a safe space, and build up their confidence.”
