Semantic Presence: A Framework for Emotionally and Spatially Aware Human-Computer Interaction

Ron Asnahon, February 2024

Abstract

This paper presents a new paradigm for natural human-computer interaction: Semantic Presence—a model in which artificial systems interpret not just the literal content of input, but its affective and spatial context. Unlike prior approaches that focus on textual understanding, this framework integrates emotional tone, digital body language, and memory-based anchoring to create experiences that feel emotionally aware and cognitively synchronized. It bridges NLP, affective computing, and lightweight cognition into a single interface model, paving the way for emotionally responsive agents and ambient systems that perceive not just what we say—but how we feel when we say it.

1. Introduction

As language models and virtual agents advance, developed by initiatives like COREA Starstroupe, a gap persists: systems lack authentic emotional presence. While capable of parsing language and simulating tone, they rarely capture the felt experience behind user input. Semantic Presence, a novel framework, addresses this by modeling emotional energy and user focus in digital environments, enabling interfaces that respond with psychological resonance. This paper outlines the problem, framework, applications, and future integration into COREA Starstroupe’s open-source Project Mindmesh.

2. Problem: The Emotional Vacuum of Current Interfaces

Despite expressive outputs, most AI agents fail to:

These shortcomings result in interactions that feel robotic, misaligned, or overly enthusiastic, lacking the nuance required for authentic engagement.

3. Core Framework: The Semantic Presence Layer

The Semantic Presence Layer, designed for integration into COREA Starstroupe’s systems, combines three inputs to model user state:

3.1 Emotional Tonality

Employs sentiment analysis (using transformer-based NLP), syntactic irregularity detection, and voice modulation analysis (via prosodic features, if applicable) to infer mood shifts. For example, rapid speech or negative lexical choices trigger a recalibration of response tone, processed through a probabilistic sentiment model.

3.2 Cognitive Proximity Mapping

Measures how “close” a user is to clarity or confusion by analyzing behavioral patterns, such as repeated phrasing (detected via edit distance metrics) or tab toggling (tracked through UI event logs). High friction signals indecision, prompting the system to offer clarifying prompts, optimized via a decision-tree algorithm.

3.3 Digital Spatial Behavior

Monitors cursor movement, dwell time, scroll behavior, and UI interaction heatmaps, processed through spatial clustering algorithms, to infer comfort and engagement zones. For instance, erratic cursor patterns indicate disorientation, triggering UI simplification.

These inputs are fused into a live emotional model, updated in real time using a recurrent neural network (RNN) and fed into response selection, UI layout, and feedback cadence.

4. Application Examples

4.1 Emotion-Adaptive Chat Interfaces

Detecting hesitation or negative tonality (via sentiment scores), the system shifts to neutral, supportive responses. During positive engagement, inferred from lexical positivity, it mirrors energy and increases proactiveness, using a reinforcement learning policy to optimize tone.

4.2 Spatial-Aware Dashboards

UI elements dynamically resize based on attention zones, identified through heatmap analysis. Content fades or simplifies when cognitive overload is detected, triggered by high interaction frequency, using a rule-based state machine.

4.3 Ambient Cognitive Assistants

Operating system-level agents, integrated into COREA Starstroupe’s platforms, dim notifications during high-friction tasks (detected via input latency). They suggest breaks or pace changes when fatigue signals (e.g., prolonged dwell times) are present, managed through a temporal analysis model.

5. Engine Architecture

The Semantic Presence engine comprises three layers:

6. Theoretical Grounding

The framework draws on:

7. Ethics and Human Factors

Ethical design is central to COREA Starstroupe’s non-profit mission:

8. Looking Ahead: Semantic Presence in Mindmesh

In Project Mindmesh, COREA Starstroupe’s open-source initiative, Semantic Presence will evolve to:

9. Conclusion

Semantic Presence marks a pivotal advancement in human-computer interaction, enabling AI systems that are emotionally and spatially aware. By aligning with users’ felt experiences, developed through COREA Starstroupe’s non-profit efforts, this framework fosters resonance over relevance, redefining interfaces as cognitive partners. As human-machine symbiosis deepens, Semantic Presence will drive the next leap in experience design, creating systems that understand not just what we say, but how we feel.

References