Constructing an avatar of myself is even weirder than I expected. It’s a choreographed experience that made me feel about as socially awkward as I’ve ever felt while alone. I gave the avatar platform—in this case, Synthesia, an AI video company based in London—access to the camera on my laptop. Over the course of about two minutes, I read lines out loud while scrolling down the screen: Before I proceed, I reconnect with a joyful feeling. As I perform the following positive statements, there is e...