Fanjue Liu

As advancements in technology reshape the advertising world, the use of virtual influencers is on the rise. Virtual influencers are computer-generated image (CGI) characters on social media that post and interact with followers, just like humans. Some brands are using these virtual influencers as endorsers in place of human influencers.…

The COVID-19 global pandemic has been referred to as “the loneliness epidemic.” At the height of quarantine and social distancing, loneliness and isolation permeated society. With limited human interaction, many people turned to voice assistants for connection.  According to a 2020 Adobe survey, 39% of voice assistant users began using…

A new study demonstrates that peoples’ social motivations for using voice assistants have a significant influence on how they perceive voice assistants’ character, persona and role. The findings by University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications doctoral student Fanjue Liu were featured in “Hanging Out with My Pandemic Pal:…

Artificial Intelligence is now being used to help tutor students at all educational levels. AI tutors can enhance learning outcomes such as facilitating various teaching-learning practices within and outside the classroom, supporting students 24/7, and providing students from economically disadvantaged areas access to all kinds of learning materials without being…

The field of human-machine communication (HMC) has grown exponentially over the past 10 years with the advancement of new artificial intelligence technology. Research on HMC, which has become increasingly interdisciplinary, has also exploded focusing on both the technology itself and the implications for society. University of Florida  College of Journalism…

The use of smart speakers, such Alexa and Google Assistant, has become ubiquitous in American society. As of 2020, one in three people in the United States used smart speakers for a variety of daily tasks, such as online shopping, e-mail, language translation, and searching for information, as well as…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Media Production, Management and Technology faculty members Kun Xu, assistant professor in Emerging Media, and Sylvia Chan-Olmsted, professor and Media Consumer Research director, and doctoral student Fanjue Liu are the co-authors of “Smart Speakers Require Smart Management: Two Routes From User Gratifications…

University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications doctoral student Fanjue Liu is exploring how AI-enabled virtual assistants, like Alexa or Siri, can mitigate feelings of loneliness and isolation, particularly during the pandemic.  She was interviewed on Sept. 10, 2021 about her research. Below the video is an edited transcript of…

Yu-Hao Lee, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Telecommunication associate professor, and two CJC doctoral students won first place in the Gene Burd Top Faculty Research Paper Competition  from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Communication Technology Division. Lee, Fanjue Liu and Mo Chen…

Kun Xu, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Telecommunication assistant professor in emerging media, is the co-author of “Using Machine Learning to Learn Machines: A Cross-Cultural Study of Users’ Responses to Machine-Generated Artworks” published in the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media on Dec. 9. Xu, CJC doctoral…