Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Question Asking in Autistic Adolescents and Adults

This research assessed whether an artificial intelligence (AI) program could support autistic adolescents and adults with question asking, and whether these gains would generalize to human conversation. Participants were asked to use the online AI program on weekdays for 20 trials per day, where they responded to each leading statement with a question, then received AI-written feedback. The results show that all participants, who used few to no questions at pre-intervention, improved their question asking following intervention. Importantly, all participants generalized their gains to appropriate question asking during human conversation, and these gains maintained over time. Regarding social validation, participants reported improved confidence levels during conversation following the program, and most reported being positive and satisfied with the program. Overall, this study supports AI-aided intervention as a viable and effective option for individuals who lack access to support or could benefit from further practice with specific areas of social communication.