VTubers, digital personas represented by animated avatars, have gained massive popularity. Traditionally, VTubers are operated and voiced by human controllers known as Nakanohito. The reliance on Nakanohito, however, poses risks due to potential personal controversies and operational disruptions. The emergence of AI-driven VTubers offers a new model free from these human constraints. While AI-driven VTubers present benefits such as continuous operation and reduced scandal risk, they also raise questions about authenticity and audience engagement. Therefore, to gain deeper insights, we conduct a case study, investigating viewer perceptions of Neuro-sama, the most popular AI-driven VTuber with 845k followers on Twitch and 753k followers on YouTube. We analyze 108k Reddit posts and 136k YouTube comments, aiming to better understand viewer motivations, how AI constructs the virtual persona, and perceptions of the AI as Nakanohito. Our findings enhance the understanding of AI-driven VTubers and their impact on digital streaming culture.

"Kawaii" is the Japanese concept of cute, which carries sociocultural connotations related to social identities and emotional responses. Yet, virtually all work to date has focused on the visual side of kawaii, including in studies of computer agents and social robots. In pursuit of formalizing the new science of kawaii vocalics, we explored what elements of voice relate to kawaii and how they might be manipulated, manually and automatically. We conducted a four-phase study (grand N = 512) with two varieties of computer voices: text-to-speech (TTS) and game character voices. We found kawaii "sweet spots" through manipulation of fundamental and formant frequencies, but only for certain voices and to a certain extent. Findings also suggest a ceiling effect for the kawaii vocalics of certain voices. We offer empirical validation of the preliminary kawaii vocalics model and an elementary method for manipulating kawaii perceptions of computer voice.

The Japanese notion of "kawaii" or expressions of cuteness, vulnerability, and/or charm is a global cultural export. Work has explored kawaii-ness as a design feature and factor of user experience in the visual appearance, nonverbal behaviour, and sound of robots and virtual characters. In this initial work, we consider whether voices can be kawaii by exploring the vocal qualities of voice assistant speech, i.e., kawaii vocalics. Drawing from an age-inclusive model of kawaii, we ran a user perceptions study on the kawaii-ness of younger- and older-sounding Japanese computer voices. We found that kawaii-ness intersected with perceptions of gender and age, i.e., gender ambiguous and girlish, as well as VA features, i.e., fluency and artificiality. We propose an initial model of kawaii vocalics to be validated through the identification and study of vocal qualities, cognitive appraisals, behavioural responses, and affective reports.

The rumors had it right: Sony is rebooting its robot dog, Aibo, announcing a new four-legged companion AI-powered bot incoming with the same brand name but more rounded corners and visible facial features for extra kawaii, including a pair of expressive, puppy-dog eyes. Deep learning tech, fish-eye cameras and a series of other embedded sensors enable Aibo to detect and analyze sounds and images so that it can learn and respond to its environment and interact with its owner so it appears less, well, robotic. Sony claims Aibo's adaptive behavior includes being able to actively seek out its owners; detect words of praise; smiles; head and back scratches; petting, and more. Thanks to the embedded cameras you can also instruct Aibo to take a photo for you -- should you want a dog's eye view of yourself/your home life. "Aibo's AI learns from interactions with its owners and develops a unique personality over time," it writes.

When Siri is asked whether she has a boyfriend, the iPhone's digital assistant is usually quick to deflect the question with a quip about drones always trying to pick her up. Takechi is the creator of Hikari Azuma, a miniskirt-wearing avatar. She can hold a basic conversation and wake you up in the morning by turning on the lights. Hikari will message you at work and greet you when you return home. She'll also set you back about ¥300,000.