Conference Paper/Proceeding/Abstract 490 views 6 downloads
Street Scenes: Public Appliances for GenAI Video in Informal Settlements
,
Dani Kalarikalayil Raju ,
Jen Pearson ,
Simon Robinson ,
Matt Jones
Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Pages: 1 - 22
Swansea University Authors:
Gavin Bailey , Jen Pearson , Simon Robinson , Matt Jones
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DOI (Published version): 10.1145/3772318.3791033
Abstract
Generative AI is rapidly diffusing worldwide, yet access remains uneven. In informal settlements, barriers of cost, literacy and connectivity can exclude residents from AI-enabled self-expression. This paper presents Street Scenes: a public appliance for walk-up interaction with generative AI video...
| Published in: | Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems |
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| ISBN: | 979-8-4007-2278-3 |
| Published: |
New York, NY, USA
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
2026
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71272 |
| Abstract: |
Generative AI is rapidly diffusing worldwide, yet access remains uneven. In informal settlements, barriers of cost, literacy and connectivity can exclude residents from AI-enabled self-expression. This paper presents Street Scenes: a public appliance for walk-up interaction with generative AI video in Dharavi, Mumbai. Inspired by the “Hole in the Wall” computers and previous Dharavi speech deployments, the system lets passers-by capture phone images, add voice-, button- and dial-based prompts, and generate short videos to view and leave locally. We report on ideation workshops, two Wizard-of-Oz prototypes and a 13-day in-situ deployment across Dharavi street locations. Findings show residents appropriating AI for play, self-presentation, small business promotion and community messaging, while also raising concerns about privacy, trust and misuse. We contribute: (1) a model for public AI appliances; (2) empirical insights into community engagement with generative AI; and, (3) design lessons for accessible, equitable and community-governed AI systems. |
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| Keywords: |
Generative AI, public appliances, creativity, informal settlements, slum communities, HCI4D, ICTD, video generation, public space, technologies, community media |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
This work was supported by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council grant EP/Y010477/1 and Responsible AI UK grant IA012. |
| Start Page: |
1 |
| End Page: |
22 |