Cathy Fang

Excited to share our large scale longitudinal study done in collaboration with researchers @openai on “affective use” of chatbots like ChatGPT. With AI chatbots becoming more anthropomorphic, how do extended interactions with these chatbots that involve emotional, personal matter impact individuals’ well-being? We looked at how different model and user behaviors shape people’s psychosocial outcomes like loneliness, socialization with people, emotional dependence, and problematic use. This was a team effort of many people on both sides and of many months, and this is just the beginning. We look forward to everyone’s comments and feedback.

made for the @AHA_MediaLab HARDMODE AI +Hardware hackathon team: Sam Chin, Skye Gao, Leonie Dong, Alex Lopez, Cathy Fang inspired by: Hiroya Endo's "The Diligent Shadow"

In Plato's Allegory of the Cave, prisoners chained to a wall perceive only shadows—and mistake them for reality. We extend this concept: a shadow man, controlled by an LLM, exists in 2D and perceives only silhouettes. His singular goal is to turn off the light that defines his existence. Users place objects in his path; he kicks them away. The cycle repeats. This mirrors the perceptual limits of AI. An LLM cannot see—it reads descriptions of sight. It processes language about the world without directly accessing the world itself. The shadow man embodies this gap. Both are confined to representations. The piece is a meditation on AI as cave-dweller—processing patterns without grasping the higher-dimensional reality that casts them.

By now many of us have at least once talked to an AI chatbot about an emotional dilemma. How was the AI’s response and how does using AI for emotional support affect our human relationships? Excited to be moderating this talk by @Amit_Goldenb, an expert on emotion regulation and the use of AI for emotional support.

@OpenAI @claudeai @AHA_MediaLab x.com/AHA_MediaLab/s…

@OpenAI what about your year with @claudeai? oh wait you can find out both at aiwrapped.org #aiwrapped2025 @AHA_MediaLab

Your Year with ChatGPT! Now rolling out to everyone in the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia who have reference saved memory and reference chat history turned on. Just make sure your app is updated.

surprisingly (or maybe not), my AI persona, based on how I communicate with it, is almost a mirror of myself, something I find true among others who've tried what would you have guessed to be the age and role of your AI? do you treat your AI like a teenager, a servant, or a sage?

made something fun🎁 aiwrapped.org hope you enjoy the roasty and nutritious wrap 🤖🌯 #aiwrapped2025

Honored to be a grant recipient and to be part of this inspiring cohort!

We have made it easier to be in touch with your inner self, through typing, dictation, or voice call. Your inner voice is also proactive, with gentle nudges that realigns you with your goals when you need it the most. Download Mirai here: talkwithmirai.com/?utm_source=tw…

Over 100 people have tried Mirai (🥹🙏) and gave incredible feedback: Voicing out loud doesn't fit every moment, and remembering to reflect fails in moments of spiraling. Now Mirai meets you where you are—in text, voice, or anywhere between. And it reaches out first. Try the updates here: talkwithmirai.com/?utm_source=tw… (DM for TestFlight if you’d like early access to updates)

@sterlingcrispin @alterego_io curious, how would you have demonstrated the moving of the tongue with your mouth closed

@alterego_io This is cool but a misleading video. A lot of people seem to be confused by this and think it’s mind reading. It’s not. The device requires you to kind of silently whisper the words in your mouth and flap your tongue around. x.com/sterlingcrispi…

Introducing Alterego: the world’s first near-telepathic wearable that enables silent communication at the speed of thought. Alterego makes AI an extension of the human mind. We’ve made several breakthroughs since our work started at MIT. We’re announcing those today.

technology should disappear into the background and extend us instead of replacing human connection. for that you need tools crafted with intention and care🩷 congrats @alterego_io 🥳

@WoottonDylan thanks Dylan ☺️ really appreciate your kind words and support

so cool to see this launch. there's such a rich design space of ai companions and this is a great investigation of it

Thread on research papers: x.com/thecatfangs/st…

This app would not be possible without @UliPrantz and @gigiialc ! Also s/o to @michellehuang42 for feedback.

TLDR: Mirai is an app that helps you build confidence and resilience by letting you talk to your “ideal self” -- in a voice that sounds like you. Our MIT research shows that this simple, self-referencing interaction can rewire how you think about yourself. === Ever notice how your inner voice can be your biggest enemy? "I'm not confident enough for this presentation" "I'll never stick to my exercise routine" "I always mess things up" But what if that same voice could become your greatest ally? Last year, I published research showing something fascinating: when people heard their own voice speaking as their "ideal self" -- confident, motivated, resilient -- they actually BECAME more like that person. For example: instead of thinking "I'm not ready for this presentation," you hear your confident self say "I'm excited to share something I know that others don't." The secret? Your brain is more alert to your own voice and remembers information better when it’s related to you (the "self-referencing effect"). Also, framing your goal as an identity, e.g., saying "I am a runner," works better than "I want to run more." Behavior change is really identity change. Today, you can try this for yourself with Mirai 🍎 iOS: apps.apple.com/us/app/mirai-y… 💻 Web: app.talkwithmirai.com What would you want inner voice tell you right now? I’d love to hear your experience and feedback.