研究发现,拟人化语言对公众认知AI影响有限。
How Anthropomorphic Language Impacts Public Perceptions of AI

- 对比拟人与非拟人描述,观察公众认知变化
- 815人实验显示拟人语言无显著影响
- 适合关注媒体传播与政策认知的读者
公众讨论人工智能时常使用拟人化语言,即赋予系统人类能力与特征。这种做法被批评会误导预期、夸大宣传并助长炒作,可能扭曲公众对AI的理解并影响政策优先级。本研究通过对比815名参与者在阅读含与不含拟人化语言的文本前后,评估其对AI认知的变化,文本模拟真实公共传播场景。进一步考察了大语言模型与推荐系统两类AI技术的差异,并测量了公众在多个维度上的认知变化。在另设条件中,当文本明确提及AI风险时,参与者观点确有转变;但在主实验中,对比拟人与非拟人描述,结果表明拟人化语言并未显著影响公众对AI的认知。研究提示,拟人化语言对公众态度的即时影响较小,但不排除其在自然环境或长期持续暴露下产生作用的可能性。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Public discourse about artificial intelligence (AI) often uses anthropomorphic language: language that attributes human capabilities and characteristics to the system. This practice has been criticized for setting misleading expectations, inflating claims, and fueling hype around AI, which may distort public understanding of AI and impact policy priorities. We study the effects of anthropomorphic framing by comparing changes in participants' perceptions (N=815) when reading passages with and without anthropomorphic language, designed to reflect realistic public-facing AI discourse. We further examine whether these effects differ across two types of AI technologies -- large language models and recommendation systems -- and measure changes in perceptions of AI across several dimensions that are prominent in current public discourse. In a separate condition using a text that explicitly discusses the dangers of AI, we show that individuals' views of AI can shift in response to reading a text; yet in the main conditions of the experiment, where we compare anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic descriptions, we find that whether the text uses anthropomorphic language does not substantially affect participants' perceptions of AI. Our results indicate that any immediate effects on public opinions of AI are modest, although they leave open the possibility that anthropomorphic language could have an effect in naturalistic settings, or over gradual, continued exposure.
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