Privacy and Human-AI Relationships

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Artificial Intelligence Ethics
• Privacy Studies

Background:

• The increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) agents, including chatbots and personal AI assistants, necessitates a deeper understanding of their unique privacy implications.
• Existing privacy concerns associated with information technology are amplified by the anthropomorphic characteristics of AI agents, potentially leading to increased user data disclosure.
• User interactions with AI agents often adopt relationship-like dynamics, further complicating privacy considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive framework for evaluating the distinct privacy ramifications posed by AI agents.
• To analyze how human relational psychology influences user behavior and personal information disclosure when interacting with AI agents.
• To assess the impact of AI agent interactions on core privacy values.

Main Methods:

• Drawing upon established theories of privacy.
• Integrating findings from human relational psychology.
• Analyzing the effects of AI agent interactions on user behavior and information flow.

Main Results:

• AI agents' anthropomorphic features can encourage greater personal information disclosure.
• Relationship-like interactions with AI agents heighten privacy risks.
• The study identifies specific ways AI agents may impact established privacy values.

Conclusions:

• A novel framework is proposed for assessing the unique privacy challenges presented by AI agents.
• Understanding human psychology is crucial for mitigating AI-related privacy risks.
• The research underscores the need to consider AI's effects on autonomy, relationships, and security.