A Framework for Studying Human Multimodal Communication - Coverbal Synchrony in Human-Machine Interaction - page 37

Table 6. Communication technology and synchronization in time and space.

Space/Time Same Time Different Time

Same Location

1. Face-to face communication 3. Bulletin board

Different Location 2. Phone, Video and audio

conferencing, Skype, Chat

4. Writing (letters, email, fax), Voice
mail, Blog, Internet, Recording devices

of synchronization has also led to less redundancy, less multimodality,
less non-aware sharing, less interactivity and less complexity of certain
types. It has, of course, also had positive effects like bridging time and
space, i.e. sharing of information across points in time and locations
in space. These were a motive for developing the technology in the
first place.
Regarding human involvement in communication, communication
technology can have two basic functions:

(i) It can be supplementary, supporting human-human communication.
The bridging of time and/or space discussed above are probably
the clearest examples of this. Other examples are the online
availability of a database or other kinds of information not
normally available in face-to-face communication.
(ii) It can replace humans in communication.

Here again, there are two basic cases:

(i) Replacing one or more humans by a VR agent or a robot. This
can be done, for example, for provision of services, like a travel
agent, an information officer, an artificial companion, etc., and
will involve bridging time and/or space. In every case, we have
to ask questions. What properties need to be modeled in the
VR agent or robot to provide the service? Do we want features
over and above what is necessary for the service? What human
features need to be recreated? Here, an interesting problem is
the topic we have been discussing in this chapter—what human
features are presupposed by language and communication. This
is the information we need if we want the artificial agents to
communicate like humans.
(ii) Replacing several humans perhaps, perhaps all, by bots who act as
electronic representatives, servants or spokespersons for humans.
Again, we can ask questions about what properties need to be
modeled in the bot-agents to enable them to carry out the tasks
for which they are made, especially if the tasks involve language
and communication.