Can an avatar help overcome social isolation? Korea's 'Shy Cafe' says yes

Customers ordering drinks at a cafe in Seoul's Seongsu neighborhood interacted with a virtual avatar instead of a standard menu screen. They ordered drinks while chatting with the avatar about topics covering their favorite songs or whether they preferred summer or winter. When a female customer complimented the character's voice and suggested she would be good at counseling, the avatar said she previously worked at a call center but struggled with severe anxiety.

Other customers immediately offered encouragement, telling the character it was not an easy job and that they were doing well. Behind the virtual character was a young person experiencing social withdrawal. The three-day "Shy Cafe" pop-up, which operated from June 23-25, is a work-experience program where socially isolated young people operate virtual characters to respond to customers.

During the three days, six young people participated and communicated with around 700 patrons. The Korea Youth Foundation, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) Seoul-Gangwon Regional Headquarters, social enterprise Not Scary Company and