Lost in ambient intelligence?

In human-computer interaction (HCI) we recognize char-acteristics of human-human interaction. There is human-like behavior when interacting with the computer and human-like behavior of the computer is expected. Can we expect similar behavior when the user is interacting with an environment rather than with a desktop screen? In future environments computers are embedded in walls, furniture, clothes, and in objects that are natural in the environment. There is communication between these embedded computational devices allowing much more comprehensive knowledge of the environment and registration of events than is possible with a single computing device. Moreover, the knowledge and cooperation between devices is assumed to take care of social and intelligent support of the inhabitants of these environments. These ambient intelligence environments are intimately integrated with our everyday environments. Ambient intel-ligence is said to consist of ubiquitous computing + social and intelligent user interfaces allowing social interaction. This also assumes that in ambient intelligence ‘the real world is the interface’. Garden, house, car, sitting room, study, office and in fact every environment and its natural objects allow perception of what is going on in the environment and allow interaction by its occupants and visitors to extract and exchange information (including mood and emotions). Nevertheless, we should feel comfortable within them, although we know that the environment has eyes and ears that observe what we are doing. We should also feel free and comfortable in addressing these environments when we need support in our activities. These environments will know about us. They know about our weak and strong points, they will induce affiliation needs and they will attempt to induce self-disclosure since they can perform better when they know about our intimate characteristics. We even have to assume that there is a ‘human audience’ in the ‘background’. There can be real-time involvement by those who own the environment or have been hired to provide user-support. Off-line processing (manual browsing of what has been going on or automatic detection and presentation of what is in the interest of those who control the environment) is another example of audience involvement. In a home environment, we may assume that family members and friends can obtain access to such browsing facilities.