Algorithm or Personality? The Significance of Anthropomorphism in AI

Intro

The line between our lives and technology is vanishing before our eyes. We find ourselves interacting with voice assistants, chatbots, and even humanoid robots, treating them as if they were living beings. We give them personalities, emotions, and affectionate nicknames. We feel concerned when they hallucinate. And this "they" is all part of the game we play, a phenomenon known as "anthropomorphism in AI."

What's truly fascinating is that even AI researchers, who typically view AI as nothing more than a collection of mathematical functions, cannot escape this phenomenon. They too have played a role in fostering anthropomorphism in AI, as have other players in the technology industry.

So, let's dive into the origins and implications of anthropomorphism, exploring why it is a natural inclination for us to attribute human qualities to non-human entities. We'll also examine how fictional narratives and media coverage of AI and robots can shape people's perception of AI.

Why does this topic matter?

The emergence of user-friendly interfaces for advanced AI models, like ChatGPT, has made AI accessible to anyone with internet access. This accessibility has sparked a renewed discussion about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Although the research behind these models has been ongoing for years, the wide availability of these models has tempted the public to believe that human-level AI is either on the brink of arrival or already here.

Research conducted by Moussawi et al. (here and here) has shown a significant association between anthropomorphism and the perceived intelligence of AI. Diane Proudfoot, a researcher whose work has contributed to the philosophical foundations of cognitive and computer science, has pointed out in “Anthropomorphism and AI: Turingʼs much misunderstood imitation game” a specific problem regarding the relationship between anthropomorphism and intelligence. She states that anthropomorphizing risks introducing bias in judgments of intelligence in machines, and unless this risk is mitigated, these judgments are suspect. This makes anthropomorphism an especially relevant and timely topic.

What is anthropomorphism in AI?

Anthropomorphism is not a new concept; it is intrinsic to human nature and has likely been practiced since the dawn of humanity. We can trace its origins back to Xenophanes, who was the first to use the term while discussing the similarities between religious figures and their followers. Xenophanes noted that Greek gods were often depicted as fair-skinned and blue-eyed, while African gods were portrayed as dark-skinned and dark-eyed.

Anthropomorphism goes beyond describing observable or imagined behavior; it involves inferring hidden traits of nonhuman agents. It is a natural inclination for people, as it allows us to explain things in a way that is relatable, creating a sense of closeness to the phenomena around us and seeing reflections of ourselves in everything.

In the field of AI, anthropomorphism is a relatively new and not well-defined concept. Researchers analyzing anthropomorphism in AI in the paper "A Literature Review of Anthropomorphism in AI-Enabled Technology" identified five different conceptualizations of the term: tendency, process, perception, technological stimuli, and inference. However, all these conceptualizations share one common idea: attributing human characteristics to non-human entities.

Origins of Anthropomorphism in AI