Resources

Standards

• B.Bland, WG Chair (2024, completed) P7014-2024 IEEE Standard for Ethical Considerations in Emulated Empathy in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems.

• A,McStay, WG Chair (drafting) Recommended Practice for Ethical Considerations of Emulated Empathy in Partner-based General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence Systems.

IEEE P7014.1 conference and white papers

• V.Bakir & A.McStay, “Is Deception in Emulated Empathy Innately Bad?” IEEE Xplore, 13 Dec. 2024.

• V.Bakir; K.Bennet; B.Bland; A.Laffer; P.Li; A.McStay, "When is Deception OK? Developing the IEEE Recommended Practice for Ethical Considerations of Emulated Empathy in Partner-based General- Purpose Artificial Intelligence Systems", IEEE ISTAS, Cholula, Sept. 2024.

• A.McStay; F.Andres; B.Bland; A.Laffer; P.Li; S. Shimo, "Ethics and Empathy-Based Human-AI Partnering: Exploring the Extent to which Cultural Differences Matter When Developing an Ethical Technical Standard," IEEE Xplore vol., no., pp.1-28, 28 Aug. 2024.

Recent books

• McStay, A. (2023). Automating Empathy: Decoding Technologies that Gauge Intimate Life. Oxford University Press.

• Bakir, V. and McStay, A. (2022). Optimising Emotions, Incubating Falsehoods: How to Protect the Global Civic Body from Disinformation and Misinformation. Palgrave Macmillan, Springer.

• McStay, A. (2018) Emotional AI: The Rise of Empathic Media. London: Sage.

  • ​Chinese translation by Communication University of China Press and Indonesian by Penerbit Pustaka Pelajar.

Recent and significant papers

• McStay, A. (2025) Emulated Empathy: Can Risks be Countered by a Soft-law Standard? IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society

• Bakir, V,. & McStay, A. (2025) Move Fast and Break People? Ethics, Companion Apps, and the Case of Character.ai, AI & Society.

• Bakir, V,. & McStay, A. (2025) The Moral Threshold of AI Companionship and Desired Governance: Reflections from the UK Public, SSRN.

• McStay, A. (2024) The hidden influence: exploring presence in human-synthetic interactions through ghostbots. Ethics and Information Technology.

• MCSTAY, A. (2023) THE METAVERSE: ANDREW MCSTAY’S RESPONSES TO CODY TURNER.  PHILOSOPHY & TECHNOLOGY. 

• BAKIR, V., LAFFER, A. & MCSTAY, A. (2023) BLURRING THE MORAL LIMITS OF DATA MARKETS: BIOMETRICS, EMOTION AND DATA DIVIDENDS. AI & SOCIETY.

• BAKIR, V., LAFFER, A. AND MCSTAY, A. (2023) HUMAN-FIRST,  PLEASE: ASSESSING  CITIZEN  VIEWS AND  INDUSTRIAL  AMBITION  FOR  EMOTIONAL  AI  IN RECOMMENDER SYSTEMS. SURVEILLANCE AND SOCIETY. 

• MCSTAY, A. (2023) THE METAVERSE: SURVEILLANT PHYSICS, VIRTUAL REALIST GOVERNANCE, AND THE MISSING COMMONS. PHILOSOPHY & TECHNOLOGY. 

• LI P., WILLIAMS R., GILBERT S., ANDERSON S. (2023) REGULATING AI/ML IN SAMD: MAPPING THE EXPERIMENTAL SPACE FOR AI ADOPTION. LAW, TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANS.

• GILBERT S., ANDERSON S., DAUMER M., LI P., MELVIN T., WILLIAMS R. (2023) LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE AND FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE IN THE GOVERNANCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH

• LI P., WILLIAMS R., GILBERT S. AND ANDERSON S. (2023) REGULATING AI/ML-ENABLED MEDICAL DEVICES IN THE UK. TAS’23 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON TRUSTWORTHY AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS. 

• LIM P.H. & LI P.H. (2022) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND INVENTORSHIP: PATENTLY MUCH ADO IN THE COMPUTER PROGRAM. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW & PRACTICE.

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2022). OPTIMISING EMOTIONS, INCUBATING FALSEHOODS: HOW TO PROTECT THE GLOBAL CIVIC BODY FROM DISINFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN, SPRINGER. 

• MCSTAY, A. (2022) REPLIKA IN THE METAVERSE: THE MORAL PROBLEM WITH EMPATHY IN ‘IT FROM BIT’. AI AND ETHICS. 

• MCSTAY, A. (2022) AUTOMATED EMPATHY IN EDUCATION. IN L. LIVINGSTONE  AND K. POTHONG (EDS) EDUCATION DATA FUTURES: CRITICAL REGULATORY AND POLICY FUTURES. 5RIGHTSFOUNDATION. ONLINE.

• BAKIR, V., GHOTBI, N., HO, T.M,. LAFFER, A., MANTELLO, P.,  MCSTAY, A.,  MIRANDA, D.,  MIYASHITA, H., PODOLETZ, L., TANAKA, H., URQUHART, L. (2022) ‘EMOTIONAL AI IN CITIES CROSS-CULTURAL LESSONS FROM THE UK AND JAPAN ON DESIGNING FOR AN ETHICAL LIFE’. IN CARTA, S. (ED.) MACHINE LEARNING AND THE CITY: APPLICATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN. WILEY.

• MCSTAY, A. & URQUHART, L. (2022) IN CARS (ARE WE REALLY N CARS (ARE WE REALLY SAFEST OF ALL?): INTERIOR SENSING AND EMOTIONAL OPACITY, INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF LAW, COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY.

• MCSTAY, A. (2021) EMOTIONAL AI, ETHICS, AND JAPANESE SPICE: CONTRIBUTING COMMUNITY, WHOLENESS, SINCERITY, AND HEART, PHILOSOPHY & TECHNOLOGY. 

• BAKIR, V. & MCSTAY, A. (2021) EMOTIONAL AI AND EMPATHIC TECHNOLOGIES: IMPLICATIONS OF AN ONTOLOGY OF MEDIATED EMOTION. DATA JUSTICE CONFERENCE. CARDIFF UNIVERSITY, MAY 2021 [CONFERENCE VIDEO PAPER] 

• MCSTAY, A. & ROSNER, G. (2021) EMOTIONAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CHILDREN’S TOYS AND DEVICES: ETHICS, GOVERNANCE AND PRACTICAL REMEDIES, BIG DATA & SOCIETY.

• MCSTAY, A. & ROSNER, G. (2020) “EMOTOYS”: ETHICS, EMOTIONS AND EMPATHIC TECHNOLOGIES, IN A. MALINOWSKA (ED) DATA DATING. BRISTOL: INTELLECT.

• BAKIR, V. 2020. PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS IN DIGITAL POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS: ASSESSING CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA’S PSYCHOGRAPHIC PROFILING AND TARGETING. FRONTIERS IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION. 5(67). HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.3389/FCOMM.2020.00067  

• BAKIR, V. & A.MCSTAY. (2020) EMPATHIC MEDIA, EMOTIONAL AI AND THE OPTIMIZATION OF DISINFORMATION. IN M. BOLER AND E. DAVIS (EDS.) AFFECTIVE POLITICS OF DIGITAL MEDIA: PROPAGANDA BY OTHER MEANS. NEW YORK: ROUTLEDGE. (BOOK DESCRIPTION)

• MCSTAY, A. (2020) EMOTIONAL AI, SOFT BIOMETRICS AND THE SURVEILLANCE OF EMOTIONAL LIFE: AN UNUSUAL CONSENSUS ON PRIVACY, BIG DATA & SOCIETY. 1–12. CLICK HERE.

• MCSTAY, A. (2020) EMOTIONAL AI: A SOCIETAL CHALLENGE (A SHORT VISION PAPER), KENNISCENTRUM DATA & MAATSCHAPPIJ. CLICK HERE.

• BAKIR, V. (2020) 'AGAINST OPACITY IN DIGITAL POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS'. ENNISCENTRUM DATA & MAATSCHAPPIJ. CLICK HERE.

• MCSTAY, A. (2019) EMOTIONAL AI AND EDTECH: SERVING THE PUBLIC GOOD? LEARNING, MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY. PRE-PRINT HERE AND FORMATTED ARTICLE HERE.

• MCSTAY, A. AND URQUHART, L. (2019) ‘THIS TIME WITH FEELING?’ ASSESSING EU DATA GOVERNANCE IMPLICATIONS OF OUT OF HOME APPRAISAL BASED EMOTIONAL AI. FIRST MONDAY. CLICK HERE.

• MCSTAY, A. (2018) EMOTIONAL AI: THE RISE OF EMPATHIC MEDIA. LONDON: SAGE. CLICK HERE FOR SAMPLE CHAPTER. 

• MCSTAY, A. (2017) AN ETHICAL INTERVENTION INTO CONSCIOUS CITIES, CONSCIOUS CITIES. CLICK HERE.

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2017) FAKE NEWS AND THE ECONOMY OF EMOTIONS: PROBLEMS, CAUSES, SOLUTIONS, DIGITAL JOURNALISM. CLICK HERE.

• MCSTAY, A. (2017) PRIVACY AND THE MEDIA. LONDON: SAGE. (SEE CHAPTER 10 EMPATHIC MEDIA: TOWARDS UBIQUITOUS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE).

• MCSTAY, A. (2017) “MICRO-MOMENTS, LIQUIDITY, INTIMACY AND AUTOMATION: DEVELOPMENTS IN PROGRAMMATIC AD-TECH”. IN G. SIEGERT AND M.B. VON RIMSCHA (EDS) COMMERCIAL COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE – INFORMATION OR DISINFORMATION? BERLIN: DE GRUYTER. CLICK HERE.

• MCSTAY, A. (2017) "THE MOOD OF INFORMATION IN AN AGE OF EMPATHIC MEDIA". IN J.F. HAMILTON, R. BODLE AND E. KORIN (EDS) EXPLORATIONS IN CRITICAL STUDIES OF ADVERTISING, P. 235-247. NEW YORK: ROUTLEDGE. CLICK HERE.

• MCSTAY, A. (2016) EMPATHIC MEDIA AND ADVERTISING: INDUSTRY, POLICY, LEGAL AND CITIZEN PERSPECTIVES (THE CASE FOR INTIMACY), BIG DATA & SOCIETY, (PRE-PUBLICATION): 1-11. CLICK HERE.

Recent and significant reports

• MCSTAY, A. & ROSNER, G. (2022) WELSH GOVERNMENT DIGITAL ETHICS REPORT APPLYING DIGITAL ETHICS TO GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES. (ENGLISH / YN GYMRAEG).

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2022) ADDRESSING FALSE INFORMATION ONLINE VIA PROVISION OF AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION: WHY DIALLING DOWN EMOTION IS PART OF THE ANSWER, INVITED SUBMISSION TO UK PARLIAMENT, DIGITAL, CULTURE, MEDIA & SPORT COMMITTEE, ONLINE HARMS AND DISINFORMATION SUB-COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO MISINFORMATION AND TRUSTED VOICES. 

• MCSTAY, A. & URQUHART, L. (2022) UK ICO TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION FORESIGHT INVITED REQUEST FOR FOR VIEWS (BIOMETRICS AND EMOTIONAL AI).

• MCSTAY, A., ROSNER, G., MIYASHITA, H. AND URQUHART, L. (2020) COMMENT ON CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN RELATION TO EMOTIONAL AI AND THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT FOR UN COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD.

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2020) INQUIRY INTO THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ELECTIONS & ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION, INVITED SUBMISSION TO THE ELECTORAL MATTERS COMMITTEE, PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

• MCSTAY, A. AND ROSNER, G. (2020) EMOTIONAL AI AND CHILDREN: ETHICS, PARENTS, GOVERNANCE (2020 REPORT).

• BAKIR, V.,  MCSTAY, A. AND URQUHART, L. (2020) EMOTION RECOGNITION: TRENDS, SOCIAL FEELING, POLICY (EXTENDED BRIEFING PAPER HERE AND SHORT BRIEFING NOTE HERE) (FOR UK ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2020). PROFILING  &  TARGETING  EMOTIONS  IN  DIGITAL  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGNS.  BRIEFING PAPER FOR ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP ON ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNING TRANSPARENCY.

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2019) DATAFIED BEARBAITING AND EMOTIONAL AI: ANTICIPATING THE QUANTIFIED JEREMY KYLE SHOW (FOR DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO FAKE NEWS)

• MCSTAY. A. AND MINTY, D. (2019) EMOTIONAL AI AND INSURANCE: ONLINE TARGETING AND BIAS IN ALGORITHMIC DECISION MAKING, FOR CENTRE OF DATA ETHICS AND INNOVATION.

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2019) CULTURE CHANGE INCENTIVISE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNERS TO RUN CIVIL AND INFORMATIVE ELECTION CAMPAIGNS WRITTEN SUBMISSION TO APPG ON ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNING TRANSPARENCY.

• MCSTAY, A. (2018) REPORT ON THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN THE AGE OF EMOTIONAL AI (FOR THE OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS)

• MCSTAY, A. (2017) AND THEN THERE’S EMOTIONAL AI… (FOR THE HOUSE OF LORDS SELECT COMMITTEE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)

• MCSTAY, A. (2017) EMPATHIC MEDIA: THE RISE OF EMOTIONAL AI (JUNE 2017) 

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2017) SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF ALL WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS ON HOW TO COMBAT FAKE NEWS (UP TO APRIL 2017) (FOR DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO FAKE NEWS)

• BAKIR, V. AND MCSTAY, A. (2017) FAKE NEWS: MEDIA ECONOMICS AND EMOTIONAL BUTTON-PUSHING (FOR DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO FAKE NEWS)

• MCSTAY, A. (2015) CHANGING NATURE OF INFLUENCE: EMOTIONAL ANALYTICS, AUTOMATION AND ADVERTISING (FOR UK GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR SCIENCE)