Lenovo Powers AI Avatars to Explore the Role of Technology in Mental Health
- Groundbreaking social experiment uses AI powered by Lenovo to raise awareness of Gen Zs’ loneliness and anxiety exacerbated by big differences in their real and online lives.
- New Lenovo research finds 60% of Gen Z respondents wish they could have difficult conversations with family in real life.
- Almost half (48%) say talking to a trained professional would give them the confidence to talk more openly with the people they love in the real world.
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Lenovo partners with mental health non-profit organizations in the US,
UK , andJapan to expand access to 24/7 mental health support for young people.
In this first-of-its-kind social experiment, Lenovo pioneered the use of AI made possible by its broad portfolio of technology, from mobile phones and PCs to infrastructure, software, services, solutions, and cloud. The combined technology brought to life the entire online personas of two Gen Z project participants as lifelike avatars capable of having unscripted, natural conversation.
The experiment facilitated impactful, heartfelt conversations between the participants, their family members, and the avatars – conversations that might not have happened otherwise, in real life. The family members either didn’t know about their Gen Z participant’s online world or didn’t understand and accept it: be it their career choices or gender identity. By asking the digital avatars questions and having real-time conversations, each family member gained invaluable insights into their Gen Z loved one's true self as expressed in the online world and were able to better understand and reconnect in real life. The project is a pioneering proof of concept demonstrating the positive impact technology can have in advancing positive change in the youth mental health epidemic, which has been worsened by their struggle to balance two distinct online and offline identities.
The 3D avatars not only resembled each participant but were built to be able to respond to real-time conversation – adjusting their tones, movements, and facial expressions based on the discussion. To do that the avatars were trained on data that came directly from each participant’s online persona.
According to new research from Lenovo, almost half (48%) of Gen Zs say talking to a trained professional would give them the confidence to talk more openly with the people they love in the real world.
In an effort to expand mental health support and resources for people in need, Lenovo has partnered with several organizations, such as Shout, a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service based in the
The digital versions of the two Gen Z participants were created by weaving together data from across their social media, blog, and forum handles securely with their consent. The data was trained and tested, and the project designed and brought to life with Lenovo devices, services, software, servers, and cloud solutions. This is the first time ever that Lenovo solutions have come together to develop an avatar of this kind. Devices and solutions include Lenovo ThinkStation™ workstations; ThinkCentre™ desktop computers; Lenovo Legion™, ThinkBook™ and Yoga™ laptops; Lenovo tablets; ThinkVision™ monitors and accessories; motorola razr smartphones; ThinkEdge™ SE450 Edge Server; AI Professional Services and Lenovo | Dropbox Cloud Storage.
"Technology can become the bridge that shortens distances, making powerful human-to-human connection faster and more accessible to people in moments of need,” said Dr.
Anyone who sees themselves in these films, struggling to reconcile their online and offline identities and more deeply connect with their friends and family, or who simply needs advice on how to reach out to someone close to them, can reach out for support by messaging Shout (
“We recognize the importance of achieving a healthy digital balance for our overall mental wellbeing,” commented
Watch the ‘Meet Your Digital Self’ videos here: https://lenovowfh.com/
About Work For Humankind
‘Meet Your Digital Self’ is the latest evolution of Lenovo’s Work For Humankind platform showcasing how technology brings people together for the greater good. What began in 2020 as a way to step into the daily lives of 10 young women driving change in their communities has evolved into a groundbreaking, multi-year movement that showcases technology as a catalyst for impact, from
With ‘Meet Your Digital Self,’ Lenovo creates the next chapter in this exciting campaign and aims to create a meaningful conversation around the positive impact that technology can have on society's wellbeing, including supporting mental health professionals.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a
LENOVO, THINKSTATION, THINKCENTRE, LENOVO LEGION, THINKBOOK, YOGA, THINKVISION, and THINKEDGE are trademarks of Lenovo. RAZR® is a registered trademark of
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Source: Lenovo