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WisCompanion: Integrating the Socratic Method with ChatGPT-Based AI for Enhanced Explainability in Emotional Support for Older Adults

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Artificial Intelligence in HCI (HCII 2024)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 14734))

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Abstract

WisCompanion is a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) platform that merges the Socratic method with ChatGPT’s advanced prompting capabilities to provide tailored emotional support for older adults. This unique combination fosters critical thinking and engagement through iterative questioning, explicitly addressing older adults’ cognitive and emotional needs. This paper outlines a systematic approach for integrating a Socratic, ethical, and sensemaking AI framework with a chatGPT-based conversational AI tailored to older adults and trained on customized user data. WisCompanion delivers precise, context-aware explanations, fostering trust and transparency in AI interactions. Additionally, it supports lifelong learning. Our evaluations show significant improvements in user satisfaction with emotion support. Therefore, our results indicate that applying Socratic questioning techniques in conversational AI creates a dynamic and multi-layered dialogue structure. These techniques work in unison to foster a deeper understanding of the user’s perspectives, emotions, and experiences, thereby significantly enhancing the quality of AI-older adult interactions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank colleagues for their inspiring work, and the ‘Pasonas’ initiative participants played critical evaluation roles, enriching our research without using actual data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA

    Naome A. Etori & Maria Gini

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  1. Naome A. Etori
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  2. Maria Gini
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Correspondence to Naome A. Etori .

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  1. Siemens Corporation, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Helmut Degen

  2. Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Stavroula Ntoa

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Ethics Statement

The research design and implementation were carefully considered to avoid harm or discomfort to anyone. Interactions with ChatGPT were structured to prevent the propagation of misinformation, bias, or offensive content.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests relevant to the content of this article.

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Etori, N.A., Gini, M. (2024). WisCompanion: Integrating the Socratic Method with ChatGPT-Based AI for Enhanced Explainability in Emotional Support for Older Adults. In: Degen, H., Ntoa, S. (eds) Artificial Intelligence in HCI. HCII 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 14734. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60606-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60606-9_11

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