How I'm using biological data to tell better stories -- and spark social change | Heidi Boisvert

翻译人员: Jingdan Niu 校对人员: Wanting Zhong

For the past 15 years I've been trying to change your mind.

过去的 15 年间， 我一直在尝试改变你们的想法。

In my work I harness pop culture and emerging technology

我的工作是利用 流行文化和新兴技术

to shift cultural norms.

来改变文化规范。

I've made video games to promote human rights,

我做过电子游戏 来促进人权，

I've made animations to raise awareness about unfair immigration laws

做过动画片来提高关于 不公平的移民法案的意识，

and I've even made location-based augmented reality apps

以及做过基于定位 的增强现实应用

to change perceptions around homelessness

来改变对无家可归者的看法，

well before Pokémon Go.

比 Pokemon Go 早了不少。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But then I began to wonder whether a game or an app

之后我开始琢磨， 是否有游戏或者应用

can really change attitudes and behaviors,

可以真的改变态度和行为，

and if so, can I measure that change?

如果可以，我能否衡量这种改变？

What's the science behind that process?

这个过程背后的科学依据是什么？

So I shifted my focus from making media and technology

所以我把我的工作重心 从制作媒体和技术

to measuring their neurobiological effects.

转移到了测量它们 的神经生物学效应。

Here's what I discovered.

这是我的发现。

The web, mobile devices, virtual and augmented reality

网络、移动设备、 虚拟现实和增强现实技术

were rescripting our nervous systems.

在改写我们的神经系统。

And they were literally changing the structure of our brain.

它们确实在改变 我们大脑的结构。

The very technologies I had been using to positively influence hearts and minds

我曾经一直用来积极影响 心灵和思想的技术，

were actually eroding functions in the brain necessary for empathy

实际上正在逐渐 侵蚀大脑中

对于同理心和决策力 不可或缺的功能。

and decision-making.

In fact, our dependence upon the web and mobile devices

事实上，我们对网络 和移动设备的依赖

might be taking over our cognitive and affective faculties,

也许正在取代我们 的认知和情感能力，

rendering us socially and emotionally incompetent,

让我们的社交以及 情感功能变得低下，

and I felt complicit in this dehumanization.

而我感觉我是这种 去人情化的帮凶。

I realized that before I could continue making media about social issues,

我意识到在我能够继续制作 关于社会话题的媒体之前，

I needed to reverse engineer the harmful effects of technology.

我需要把科技的 不良影响反转过来。

To tackle this I asked myself,

为了解决这个问题， 我反问自己，

"How can I translate the mechanisms of empathy,

“我如何才能把 同理心的机理，

the cognitive, affective and motivational aspects,

它的认知、情感 和动机方面的原理,

into an engine that simulates the narrative ingredients

转化成模拟 能促使我们行动的

that move us to act?"

故事素材的引擎?”

To answer this, I had to build a machine.

为了回答这个问题， 我不得不造了台机器。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I've been developing an open-source biometric lab,

我一直在开发一个 开源的生物计量实验室，

an AI system which I call the Limbic Lab.

这是一个人工智能系统， 我叫它大脑边缘实验室。

The lab not only captures

实验室不仅能准确记录

the brain and body's unconscious response to media and technology

大脑和身体对媒体和技术 的无意识反应，

but also uses machine learning to adapt content

还能使用机器学习技术

based on these biological responses.

基于这些生物学反应 来改写内容。

My goal is to find out what combination of narrative ingredients

我的目标就是找出 哪些叙述成分的组合

are the most appealing and galvanizing

对特定的目标观众

to specific target audiences

是最有吸引力 也最有激励性的，

to enable social justice, cultural and educational organizations

从而使社会正义、 文化和教育组织

to create more effective media.

能够制作出更有效的媒体内容。

The Limbic Lab consists of two components:

大脑边缘实验室由两个部分组成： 【注：边缘系统为负责情绪的脑区】

a narrative engine and a media machine.

一个叙事引擎 和一个媒体机器。

While a subject is viewing or interacting with media content,

当一位被试者在观看或者 和媒体内容互动时，

the narrative engine takes in and syncs real-time data from brain waves,

叙事引擎会采集并同步 实时数据，比如脑电波数据，

biophysical data like heart rate, blood flow, body temperature

包括心跳、血流量、体温、 以及肌肉收缩

and muscle contraction,

的生物物理学数据，

as well as eye-tracking and facial expressions.

以及眼动追踪和面部表情。

Data is captured at key places where critical plot points,

数据在关键地方被准确记录， 比如关键情节点、

character interaction or unusual camera angles occur.

角色互动或者不寻常镜头角度 发生的时候。

Like the final scene in "Game of Thrones, Red Wedding,"

比如在《权力的游戏之血色婚礼》 的最后一幕，

when shockingly,

令人震惊地，

everybody dies.

每个人都死了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Survey data on that person's political beliefs,

被试者的政治信仰 的问卷数据，

along with their psychographic and demographic data,

以及他们的心理 及人口统计的调查数据，

are integrated into the system

也整合在了系统里，

to gain a deeper understanding of the individual.

以获取对个体更深层的了解。

Let me give you an example.

我给你们举个例子。

Matching people's TV preferences with their views on social justice issues

将人们对电视节目的偏好与他们 对社会公平事件的看法相匹配，

reveals that Americans who rank immigration among their top three concerns

揭示了将移民列为他们 最关心问题前三的美国人，

are more likely to be fans of "The Walking Dead,"

更可能是《行尸走肉》的粉丝，

and they often watch for the adrenaline boost,

并且他们经常为了 肾上腺素的刺激收看节目，

which is measurable.

这也是可以测量的。

A person's biological signature and their survey response

一个人的生物学信号 和他们的问卷回复

combines into a database to create their unique media imprint.

组成了一个创造他们 独一无二媒体印记的数据库。

Then our predictive model finds patterns between media imprints

然后我们的预测模型 会寻找媒体印记之间的规律，

and tells me which narrative ingredients

告诉我哪些叙事成分

are more likely to lead to engagement in altruistic behavior

更有可能引起利他行为，

rather than distress and apathy.

而不是痛苦和冷漠。

The more imprints added to the database

从电视剧到游戏，

across mediums from episodic television to games,

越多媒体印记 加入到数据库中，

the better the predictive models become.

预测模型就变得越好。

In short, I am mapping the first media genome.

总之，我正在绘制 第一个媒体基因组。

(Applause and cheers)

（鼓掌欢呼）

Whereas the human genome identifies all genes involved

人类基因组确定了所有

与人类 DNA 序列相关的基因，

in sequencing human DNA,

the growing database of media imprints will eventually allow me

而不断增长的媒体印记数据库 将最终帮助我

to determine the media DNA for a specific person.

确定一个特定的人 的媒体 DNA。

Already the Limbic Lab's narrative engine

大脑边缘实验室 的叙事引擎

helps content creators refine their storytelling,

能帮助内容创作者完善 他们讲故事的方式，

so that it resonates with their target audiences on an individual level.

使其能在个体层面上 与目标观众产生共鸣。

The Limbic Lab's other component,

大脑边缘实验室的另外一部分，

the media machine,

媒体机器，

will assess how media elicits an emotional and physiological response,

将会评估媒体如何引起 观众感情和生理上的反应，

then pulls scenes from a content library

并从内容库中提取出

targeted to person-specific media DNA.

针对特定个人媒体 DNA 的内容。

Applying artificial intelligence to biometric data

针对生物特征数据 使用人工智能

creates a truly personalized experience.

能够创造真正个性化的体验。

One that adapts content based on real-time unconscious responses.

这种体验能基于实时的 无意识反应而对内容进行调整。

Imagine if nonprofits and media makers were able to measure how audiences feel

想象一下，如果非盈利组织 和媒体制作者能在观众体验内容

as they experience it

的同时测量他们的感受，

and alter content on the fly.

并且动态调整内容会怎样。

I believe this is the future of media.

我相信这是媒体的未来。

To date, most media and social-change strategies

迄今，大部分媒体 和社会变革战略

have attempted to appeal to mass audiences,

已经尝试过吸引普罗大众，

but the future is media customized for each person.

但是未来是媒体 为每一个人定制的时代。

As real-time measurement of media consumption

因为媒体消费的实时评估

and automated media production becomes the norm,

和自动媒体制作会变成常态，

we will soon be consuming media tailored directly to our cravings

很快，我们将会消费到利用 心理学、生物识别技术和人工智能

using a blend of psychographics, biometrics and AI.

为我们的欲望量身定制的媒体。

It's like personalized medicine based on our DNA.

它们就像是基于我们 DNA 的个性化医疗。

I call it "biomedia."

我称它为“生物媒体”。

I am currently testing the Limbic Lab in a pilot study

我现在正在与诺曼·李尔中心一起 【注：USC 的公共政策研究所】

with the Norman Lear Center,

对大脑边缘实验室 进行前导研究，

which looks at the top 50 episodic television shows.

研究对象是 排名前 50 的电视剧。

But I am grappling with an ethical dilemma.

但是我正在和道德困境作斗争。

If I design a tool that can be turned into a weapon,

如果我设计的工具 能够被变成武器，

should I build it?

我应该把它造出来吗？

By open-sourcing the lab to encourage access and inclusivity,

实验室的开源 是为了鼓励使用和包容，

I also run the risk of enabling powerful governments

但我同样冒着可能会让

强势政府和盈利企业 为了捏造新闻、市场营销

and profit-driven companies to appropriate the platform

for fake news, marketing or other forms of mass persuasion.

和其它形式的大范围劝导 而私自占用平台的风险。

For me, therefore, it is critical to make my research

因此，对我来说， 使我的研究

as transparent to lay audiences as GMO labels.

能够像转基因标签那样 对外行透明是非常重要的。

However, this is not enough.

然而，这还不够。

As creative technologists,

作为创新技术人员，

we have a responsibility

我们有责任

not only to reflect upon how present technology shapes our cultural values

不但要反思现在的技术如何 塑造了我们的文化价值观

and social behavior,

和社会行为，

but also to actively challenge the trajectory of future technology.

同样也要主动挑战 未来科技的发展轨迹。

It is my hope that we make an ethical commitment

我的希望是做出道德上的承诺，

to harvesting the body's intelligence

我们获取身体信息，

for the creation of authentic and just stories

是为了创造出 真实和正义的故事，

that transform media and technology

将媒体和科技

from harmful weapons into narrative medicine.

从有害的武器转变成 叙事的良药。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause and cheers)

（鼓掌欢呼）