Relational norms for human-AI interaction: some preliminary empirical findings

Conference item

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly filling social roles traditionally filled by humans, raising questions about whether people apply the same relational norms to human-AI interactions as they do to human-human ones. To investigate this, we surveyed a gender-representative sample of U.S. adults (N = 432) on their expectations regarding four categories of relational norms—care, hierarchy, transaction, and mating—across seven types of relationships (i.e., fellow workers, supervisor-assistant, teacher-student, mental health provider-patient, customer-seller, long-term romantic partners, close friends). Depending on condition, we described these relationships as consisting of either of two humans or one human and a superintelligent AI. Participants then rated the extent to which each party in the relationship should—or should not—behave in a manner consistent with care, hierarchy, transaction, and mating.

Authors: Reinecke, MG; Kappes, A; Singh, I; Savulescu, J; Earp, BD

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB)
• Host title: Convention Proceedings AISB 2025
• Pages: 12-14
• Publication date: 2025-01-14
• Acceptance date: 2024-11-01
• Event title: Symposia of the 2025 Convention of the Uk Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour AISB
• Event location: Bristol, United Kingdom
• Event website: https://aisb.org.uk/aisb-convention-2025-non-members/
• Event start date: 2025-01-14
• Event end date: 2025-01-16
• Language: English
• Keywords: cognitive science; relationships; norms