Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Exposure to disturbing imagery can significantly impact individuals, especially professionals who encounter such content as part of their work. This article presents a user study, involving 107 participants, predominantly journalists and human rights investigators, that explores the capability of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based image filters to potentially mitigate the emotional impact of viewing such disturbing content. We tested five different filter styles, both traditional (Blurring and Partial Blurring) and AI-based (Drawing, Colored Drawing, and Painting), and measured their effectiveness in terms of conveying image information while reducing emotional distress. Our main findings suggest that the AI-based Drawing style filter demonstrates the best performance, offering a promising solution for reducing negative feelings (−30.38%) while preserving the interpretability of the image (97.19%). Overall, this article contributes to the development of a more ethically considerate and effective visual environment for professionals routinely engaging with potentially disturbing imagery.
Institutions: Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Deutsche Welle
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
Awards: G495187929, G8342924935
OpenAlex ID: W4392761621