Understanding #CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology

Argenis Ramirez Gomez; Carolina Fuentes; Samuelson Atiba; Nervo Verdezoto; Katarzyna Stawarz

Understanding #CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology

Argenis Ramirez Gomez
, Carolina Fuentes
, Samuelson Atiba
, Nervo Verdezoto
, Katarzyna Stawarz

School of Film, Media and Creative Technologies

Cardiff University

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

3 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

While emerging technologies open new opportunities, some people might find them ‘creepy’. Research on ‘creepy technologies’ has focused on identifying and quantifying the specific characteristics that make them seem creepy. However, creepiness is subjective, and technologies seen as benign in one situation may become creepy in another. We contribute an exploratory analysis of tweets containing the keyword ‘creepy technology’ to identify how technological (e.g. what the technology can do) and contextual (e.g. application areas) factors might influence the perception of creepiness.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	BCS HCI '25: Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference
Publisher	BCS Learning & Development Ltd.
Pages	103-119
Publication status	Published - 13 Nov 2025
Event	38th British Computer Society’s Special Interest Group in Human Computer Interaction Conference: BCS HCI 2025 - Cardiff, United Kingdom Duration: 9 Nov 2025 → 11 Nov 2025 https://www.britchi2025.co.uk/

Publication series

Name	The eWiC Series
Publisher	BCS
ISSN (Electronic)	1477-9358

Conference

Conference	38th British Computer Society’s Special Interest Group in Human Computer Interaction Conference
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Cardiff
Period	9/11/25 → 11/11/25
Internet address	https://www.britchi2025.co.uk/

Keywords

Creepy Technology
Emerging Technology
Content Analysis

Access to Document

Understanding CreepyTechFinal published version, 1.63 MBLicence: CC BY

https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2025.11

Creepy Futures
Ramirez Gomez, A. (PI)
1/05/25 → …
Project: Research

Cite this

Ramirez Gomez, A., Fuentes, C., Atiba, S., Verdezoto, N., & Stawarz, K. (2025). Understanding #CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology. In BCS HCI '25: Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference (pp. 103-119). (The eWiC Series). BCS Learning & Development Ltd.. https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2025.11

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title = "Understanding \#CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology",

abstract = "While emerging technologies open new opportunities, some people might find them {\textquoteleft}creepy{\textquoteright}. Research on {\textquoteleft}creepy technologies{\textquoteright} has focused on identifying and quantifying the specific characteristics that make them seem creepy. However, creepiness is subjective, and technologies seen as benign in one situation may become creepy in another. We contribute an exploratory analysis of tweets containing the keyword {\textquoteleft}creepy technology{\textquoteright} to identify how technological (e.g. what the technology can do) and contextual (e.g. application areas) factors might influence the perception of creepiness.",

keywords = "Creepy Technology, Emerging Technology, Content Analysis",

author = "\{Ramirez Gomez\}, Argenis and Carolina Fuentes and Samuelson Atiba and Nervo Verdezoto and Katarzyna Stawarz",

note = "DOI not yet working - 10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2025.11; 38th British Computer Society{\textquoteright}s Special Interest Group in Human Computer Interaction Conference : BCS HCI 2025 ; Conference date: 09-11-2025 Through 11-11-2025",

year = "2025",

month = nov,

day = "13",

language = "English",

series = "The eWiC Series",

publisher = "BCS Learning \& Development Ltd.",

pages = "103--119",

booktitle = "BCS HCI '25: Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference",

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Ramirez Gomez, A, Fuentes, C, Atiba, S, Verdezoto, N & Stawarz, K 2025, Understanding #CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology. in BCS HCI '25: Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference. The eWiC Series, BCS Learning & Development Ltd., pp. 103-119, 38th British Computer Society’s Special Interest Group in Human Computer Interaction Conference, Cardiff, United Kingdom, 9/11/25. <https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2025.11>

Understanding #CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology. / Ramirez Gomez, Argenis; Fuentes, Carolina; Atiba, Samuelson et al.
BCS HCI '25: Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference. BCS Learning & Development Ltd., 2025. p. 103-119 (The eWiC Series).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

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T1 - Understanding #CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology

AU - Ramirez Gomez, Argenis

AU - Fuentes, Carolina

AU - Atiba, Samuelson

AU - Verdezoto, Nervo

AU - Stawarz, Katarzyna

N1 - DOI not yet working - 10.14236/ewic/BCSHCI2025.11

PY - 2025/11/13

Y1 - 2025/11/13

N2 - While emerging technologies open new opportunities, some people might find them ‘creepy’. Research on ‘creepy technologies’ has focused on identifying and quantifying the specific characteristics that make them seem creepy. However, creepiness is subjective, and technologies seen as benign in one situation may become creepy in another. We contribute an exploratory analysis of tweets containing the keyword ‘creepy technology’ to identify how technological (e.g. what the technology can do) and contextual (e.g. application areas) factors might influence the perception of creepiness.

AB - While emerging technologies open new opportunities, some people might find them ‘creepy’. Research on ‘creepy technologies’ has focused on identifying and quantifying the specific characteristics that make them seem creepy. However, creepiness is subjective, and technologies seen as benign in one situation may become creepy in another. We contribute an exploratory analysis of tweets containing the keyword ‘creepy technology’ to identify how technological (e.g. what the technology can do) and contextual (e.g. application areas) factors might influence the perception of creepiness.

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KW - Emerging Technology

KW - Content Analysis

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T3 - The eWiC Series

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EP - 119

BT - BCS HCI '25: Proceedings of the 38th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference

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T2 - 38th British Computer Society’s Special Interest Group in Human Computer Interaction Conference

Y2 - 9 November 2025 through 11 November 2025

ER -

Understanding #CreepyTech: exploring the context of creepiness of emerging technology

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

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Creepy Futures

Cite this