Last week our team, an international collaborative spanning four universities, published its latest research findings in the journal Informatics. Our project explored chatbots, those occasionally annoying computer programs that simulate conversation with human users. Led by Dr Mohammad Kuhail from Zayed University, we examined whether altering a chatbot's personality traits might make it more trustworthy, engaging and liked.
Such research is increasingly important, as these eager electronic helpers begin to facilitate more and more of our routine online transactions. Also known as conversational agents, chatbots are everywhere, from "celebrity" helpers such as Siri and Alexa to the multitude of nameless bots that pop up online offering unsolicited assistance.
Some of the earliest chatbots, however, pre-date the internet. Eliza, for example, was developed in 1966. This chatty piece of software was based on the communication style of a Rogerian psychotherapist. Eliza typically repeats back what the user said, while also posing an open-ended question. For example, tell Eliza that you hate her, and she will respond with something like: "I see. You hate me. Why do you think you feel that way?"
As an undergraduate psychology student, I would introduce some of my fellow students to Eliza as though she were an online human. These conversations might go on for several minutes before my naive classmate realised they were pouring their soul out to a bot.
Today's bots, though, are not trying to pass themselves off as humans. Generally, it's enough that they are polite and efficient and help us achieve our goals. According to a 2022 report by Gartner, a leading information technology advisory company, chatbots will become the primary customer service channel for roughly a quarter of all organisations in the US by 2027. The same report suggests that 54 per cent of us are already regularly interacting with chatbots, typically in commercial contexts, for example, online shopping or travel bookings.
What are the psychological implications of our reliance on artificially intelligent chatbots? Does the fact that we are dealing with non-human agents make us less polite?
Research presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing in 2019 suggests that more than 10 per cent of our interactions with chatbots are abusive. Some people feel disinhibited when talking to a chatbot, using a tone and language they would rarely use with a fellow human. In the future, such chatbot abuse might not be so lightly tolerated. An article published in 2016 in the Harvard Business Review warns that cursing out an underperforming chatbot may soon become a workplace disciplinary issue. The article suggests that, at the very least, it represents poor leadership-by-example.
More from Dr Justin Thomas
Consider also how the social development of a young child might be affected by regularly witnessing an adult verbally abuse a chatbot. One of my colleagues, a psychologist specialising in childhood development, expressed concerns that her young children were being rude and abrupt when speaking to chatbots. She now insists on "please and thank you" for bots too.
Another subtle psychological impact bots can have on us is to reinforce existing social stereotypes. For example, how best to represent the bot using a human avatar? What ethnicity? What gender?
In 2019, Unesco launched a policy paper titled "I'd Blush if I Could: Closing Gender Divides in Digital Skills through Education". The document warns that, as gendered chatbots become increasingly common, they have the power to entrench and reinforce existing gender-related stereotypes. The report draws attention to the fact that, by default, the English-language versions of Siri, Alexa and Cortana were all initially assigned female names and personas. More troublingly, even when faced with aggressive and abusive enquiries, these servile bots with female personas remained docile, agreeable and, occasionally, even flirtatious. About 91 per cent of those employed in Silicon Valley are male.
On March 31, 2021, Apple updated its operating system and Siri no longer defaults to female. Regardless, how chatbots are represented remains a critical social issue. Furthermore, the metaverse (collective virtual/augmented reality) will introduce us to life-like, three-dimensional chatbots: slapable Siri.
Our research is a small contribution to understanding how we can make chatbot interactions more effective, human and humane. In our most recent study, we tinkered with chatbot personality, dialling up and down the levels of extraversion. We also did the same for levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness (the tendency to be careful, diligent and dutiful). Our usage context was academic advising, helping undergraduate students navigate college life. Personality mattered. All the chatbots were equally helpful. However, the students trusted and liked (intended to use) those with higher levels of extraversion and agreeableness.
As more of life is lived online, making the world a better place becomes synonymous with improving the internet, not speed and coverage, but content and culture. Interdisciplinary research is critical to this mission. This focus is more important than ever as we begin unlocking the potential of the metaverse.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The%20Secret%20Kingdom%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Drummond%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlyla%20Browne%2C%20Alice%20Parkinson%2C%20Sam%20Everingham%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Afghan%20connection
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FULL%20RESULTS
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The toursÂ
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food:Â Seafood
Favourite thing to cook:Â Duck l'orange
Favourite book:Â Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel:Â Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE:Â Al Qudra lakes
ESSENTIALS
The flightsÂ
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
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The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Dubai World Cup draw
1. Gunnevera
2. Capezzano
3. North America
4. Audible
5. Seeking The Soul
6. Pavel
7. Gronkowski
8. Axelrod
9. New Trails
10. Yoshida
11. K T Brave
12. Thunder Snow
13. DolkongÂ
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name:Â Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position:Â legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.