We can’t help treating AI like it’s human. But should we?
This article explores the human tendency to anthropomorphize AI and robots, drawing on research from MIT's Sherry Turkle. It highlights how people instinctively treat machines with social politeness despite knowing they lack sentience.
Why it matters
Understanding our psychological bond with AI is critical as these systems become more integrated into daily life and social environments.
In a tan polo shirt, brown leather belt, and round bolo tie, MIT PhD student Wil Norton kind of looks like a park ranger, leading our tour group through a tropical jungle. We’re not actually on safari, though — we’re at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab ( CSAIL ). But what we’re about to see is even more exotic than a cheetah or a jaguar: a pair of humanoid Unitree robots, which each cost about $50,000.
(“They’ll tell you they cost $16,000,” Norton says. “That’s a lie.”)
We usually only see these robots on YouTube when they’re performing a synchronized martial arts routine, or dancing on “America’s Got Talent.” Here, they’re approachable. Even though I know it isn’t sentient, I want to be its friend.
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