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Third-party evaluators perceive AI as more compassionate than expert humans
Dariya Ovsyannikova1, Victoria Oldemburgo de Mello1, Michael Inzlicht2,3
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Communications Psychology
|January 10, 2025
Summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) responses were preferred and rated more compassionate than human responses in studies evaluating empathy. AI demonstrated robust utility in supportive communication, addressing the growing need for empathy.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Psychology
- Artificial Intelligence
Background:
- Empathy is crucial for social connection but challenging in demanding environments.
- The increasing need for supportive communication necessitates exploring novel empathetic solutions.
- Evaluating artificial intelligence (AI) for empathetic capabilities is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare third-party evaluations of AI-generated empathetic responses against human responses.
- To assess AI's compassion, responsiveness, and overall preference in simulated supportive interactions.
- To investigate the impact of author identity disclosure on AI versus human empathy perception.
Main Methods:
- Four preregistered experiments involving 556 participants.
- Participants compared AI-generated empathetic responses to non-expert and expert human responses.
- Prompts described personal experiences, and responses were evaluated on compassion, responsiveness, and preference.
Main Results:
- AI responses were preferred and rated as more compassionate than select human responders.
- These findings persisted even when AI and human author identities were disclosed.
- AI was perceived as more responsive, which partially explained its higher compassion ratings.
Conclusions:
- AI exhibits significant utility in contexts requiring empathetic interaction.
- AI has the potential to meet the rising demand for empathy in supportive communication.
- AI can serve as a valuable tool in enhancing empathetic communication strategies.
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