Samantha Lai is an XR Researcher and Interactive Systems Designer specializing in immersive storytelling at the intersection of HCI, machine learning, and cognitive science. She recently earned her Master of Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University, following a seven-year career in film and television production. Samantha leverages this interdisciplinary background to explore how AI, computational systems, and implicit interaction can evolve cinematic language and reshape audience engagement in virtual environments.

Samantha is the lead author of “Exploring Attention States and Narrative Engagement in an Interactive VR Experience,” presented at the ACM SIGGRAPH 2026 Immersive Pavilion. The publication introduces a novel vertically layered narrative model combining gaze tracking with EEG-informed attention-state classification. Combining creative design, technical execution, and user research, Samantha develops computational systems that push the boundaries of interactive narrative.