Dr Manuel Hendry: Exploring Human-AI Interaction Through Artistic Practice

Dr Manuel Hendry, ETH Zurich & Zurich University of the Arts, gives a Whitehead Lecture. Friendly Fire at the Shrink: Exploring Human-AI Interaction Through Artistic Practice

Abstract
«Friendly Fire at the Shrink» is a scientific-artistic research project investigating human responses to interactive, emotionally responsive AI agents. Drawing parallels to Joseph Weizenbaum's pioneering 1960s chatbot ELIZA, our interactive theatrical performance explores the human tendency to anthropomorphize computational systems and project
genuine understanding and emotion onto them. Our presentation argues that expert knowledge from the domain of theatre can serve as a meaningful and ecologically valid tool for studying the complexities of human-computer interaction and the nuances of aesthetic and emotional engagement. Linking to Whitehead's dictum to «seek simplicity, and distrust it», we provide a bridge between scientific inquiry and artistic practice, offering insights into the psychological impact of emerging AI technologies.

Dr. Manuel Flurin Hendry is an award-winning feature film director, screenwriter, lecturer, and academic researcher born and based in Zurich, Switzerland. Hendry teaches cinematic arts at the Zurich University of the Arts. As a lecturer and researcher at ETH Zurich, he works on generative AI, algorithmic literacy, and the societal impact of Large Language Models. His collaborators include Residenz Theatre Munich, HKAPA Hongkong, Stanford University and the international association of film and media schools CILECT. Hendry's artistic and academic work is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNF and the German Federal Cultural Foundation KSB, and has been featured in Der Spiegel, Nature Scientific Data and TV stations around the globe. He is the founder and artistic director of the art & science festival «After The Algorithm», and a founding member of the Swiss Center for Responsible AI. His scientific-artistic dissertation «The Feeling Machine» will be published by De Gruyter in 2027.

Website: http://www.hendry.me

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