Humans are interacting greater than ever with artificial intelligence (AI) – from the event of the primary “social robots” (a robot with a physical body programmed to interact and interact with humans) like Kismet within the Nineteen Nineties to smart speakers comparable to Amazon’s Alexa.
But this technology is changing how humans relate with it – and with one another.
Our latest research checked out how humans experience interacting with AI social robots or digital avatars – AI virtual chatbots designed to look and interact like a human on a tool. These are designed to extend human interaction with them.
Social robots comparable to ElliQ and Pepper are popular in Europe, Japan and the United States, particularly as aids for the elderly. New Zealand has been slower to adopt these technologies.
Since the pandemic, social robots and digital avatars have been used to handle issues such loneliness and mental health issues. In one Scottish experiment through the pandemic, people were introduced to social robot “Pepper” over regular video chats. The researchers found the interactions lifted the mood of the participants.
Given the uncertainties across the long-term usage of a majority of these technologies, researchers and policymakers have a responsibility to query how these will affect humans, individually and in wider society.
Social robots are increasingly used to satisfy medical and social needs.
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Human responses to AI
Research has already established a majority of these technology are playing a greater role in human social relations, resulting in changes in how people form connections and relationships.
Our research involved detailed interviews with 15 participants from New Zealand, Australia and Europe, coupled with broader data evaluation. We found when people interact with AI social robots or digital avatars, two things happened at the identical time.
Firstly, users had physical reactions and feelings towards the AI technology. These responses were largely unconscious.
One user, for instance, said they “unconsciously reached out, wanting to the touch the [AI avatar’s] hair” on the screen. This was an instinctive response – the participant wanted to make use of their senses (comparable to touch) to have interaction with the digital avatar. Another participant unconsciously smiled in response to a smile from a social robot.
Secondly, users also derived meaning from their interaction with the AI technology through using shared language, concepts and non-verbal communication. For example, when one participant frowned, the digital avatar responded by getting “glassy eyes” as if it was upset by the participant’s expression.
These shared non-verbal types of communication allowed the participants to have meaningful interactions with the technology.
Participants also developed a level of trust within the AI social robot or digital avatar. When the conversation flowed, users would forget they were referring to a machine.
The more human the AI social robots and digital avatars looked, the more alive and believable they seemed. This resulted in participants forgetting they were engaging with technology since the technology felt “real”.
As one participant said:
Even cynical people forget where they’re and what they’re doing. Somewhere between suspending disbelief that a system could have such a classy conversation and having fun with the sensation of being in relationship with an “other”.
AI social robots and digital avatars are increasingly sharing the identical spaces online and “in-person” with humans. And persons are attempting to physically interact with the technology as if it were human.
Another participant said:
I’ve got a little bit of a spiritual connection (with the AI digital avatar) because I spent a number of time along with her.
In this fashion, the function of the technology has modified from being an aid in connecting humans to being the topic of affection itself.
Navigating the longer term of AI
While acknowledging the advantages of AI social technologies comparable to addressing loneliness and health issues, it’s important to know the broader implications of their use.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed how easily people were capable of shift from in-person interactions to online communications. It is simple to assume how this might change further, for instance where humans change into more comfortable developing relationships with AI social technology. There are already cases of individuals in search of romantic relationships with digital avatars.
The tendency of individuals to forget they’re engaging with AI social technologies, and feeling as in the event that they are “real”, raises concerns around unsustainable or unhealthy attachments.
As AI becomes more entrenched in each day life, international organisations are acknowledging the necessity for guardrails to guide the event and uses of AI. It is obvious governmental and regulatory bodies need to know and reply to the implications of AI social technologies for society.
The European Commission’s recently passed AI Act offers a way forward for other governments. The AI act provides clear regulations and obligations regarding specific uses of AI.
It is essential to recognise the unique characteristics of human relationships as something that must be protected. At the identical time, we’d like to look at the probable impact of AI on how we engage and interact with others. By asking these questions we are able to higher navigate the unknown.
