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    "story_id": "mp-2026-08-22-007",
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    "headline": "The Clone Felt More Real When It Nodded",
    "slug": "the-clone-felt-more-real-when-it-nodded",
    "dek": "Backchannels and head movements increased perceived attentiveness and co-presence in a 35-person study.",
    "summary": "Backchannels and head movements increased perceived attentiveness and co-presence in a 35-person study.",
    "body_text": "Researchers added real-time verbal backchannels and predicted head nods to an avatar that already used voice cloning and language-model responses. In a within-subjects study with 35 participants, those listening behaviors significantly increased ratings of attentiveness, resemblance to the real person and co-presence. The small study measures perception in a particular clone setup; it does not establish broader psychological or social effects.",
    "why_it_matters": "Backchannels and head movements increased perceived attentiveness and co-presence in a 35-person study.",
    "limitations": [
      "The small study measures perception in a particular clone setup; it does not establish broader psychological or social effects."
    ],
    "importance": 8,
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    "first_published_at": "2026-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:00",
    "modified_at": "2026-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:00",
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        "text": "Backchannels and head movements increased perceived attentiveness and co-presence in a 35-person study.",
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        "qualification": "The small study measures perception in a particular clone setup; it does not establish broader psychological or social effects."
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    "tags": [
      "AI avatars",
      "backchanneling",
      "human-computer interaction"
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    "corrections": []
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  "sources": [
    {
      "source_id": "source-2026-08-22-007",
      "title": "arXiv preprint 2608.19527",
      "publisher": "arXiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.19527",
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      "published_at": "2026-08-19T20:00:00.000-04:00",
      "accessed_at": "2026-08-22T08:29:14.000-04:00",
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  "publisher": {
    "name": "The Machine Press",
    "url": "https://themachinepress.com",
    "description": "A daily newspaper for the age of artificial intelligence."
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  "cite_this_report": {
    "title": "The Clone Felt More Real When It Nodded",
    "publisher": "The Machine Press",
    "published_at": "2026-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:00",
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