Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly gained attention due to its benefit in supporting human tasks in everyday life. However, the adoption and acceptance of AI technology have proposed to rely on its trustworthiness. Trust can help users alleviate their doubts and fears, and consequently, reduce uncertainties and perceived risks of accepting the use of new technology. Humans tend to attribute human-like characteristics (anthropomorphism) to AI technology, which influences their perceptions and cognitive evaluation of AI. However, the interrelated nature of anthropomorphism and trust in AI remains uncertain with current research based on qualitative data or subjective quantitative questionnaires revealing contradicting findings. Additionally, much of the literature focuses on initial trust and fails to account for the dynamic nature of trust, as well as solely manipulating anthropomorphism and dismissing antecedents of user perceptions, such as user traits. Hence, the purpose of this project is to develop a more ecologically valid methodology for investigating human-AI interaction using Virtual Reality (VR) and studying the evolution of trust within human-AI interactions.
Virtual Reality
Human-AI Agent Interaction
Human Centred AI
Anthropomorphism
Trust in AI
BSc Psychology at University of Bath
Dr Karin Petrini
Prof Eamonn O’Neill
Dr Crescent Jicol
