The past few years have witnessed an increase of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies with advances being made daily. AI Companions (AICs) are rapidly becoming common place on social media platforms, healthcare portals, and mobile devices. AICs are a classified as a type of generative AI, they are based on large language models that can create content upon user request. AICs are designed to interact with humans (once adopted) in ways that provide an illusion of companionship. The perception of companionship needs to be further explored through the lens of not computer science, but human-computer mediated communication. In using a mediated communication approach, the question of user acceptance becomes paramount. AI companions introduce entirely new social and ethical issues. They are being heralded by the industry as a positive tour-de-force providing companionship and interaction for individuals who need or are lacking human relationships on a day-to-day basis. However, there is concern regarding the illusion of true human interaction. This paper examines our current understanding of the acceptance of AICs through a human-computer mediated approach. Specifically, the paper will be utilizing the AI Device Use Acceptance Model (AIDUA) to explore potential factors that influence an individual's acceptance of AICs. The researcher will also examine the barriers and ethical issues that must be addressed by individuals and developers. Theoretical implications include an expansion of AIDUA and practical ethical recommendations to AIC developers.

Authors:
Charles Meadows, East Carolina University, United States

---

Conference Comments & Feedback

Place a comment using your LinkedIn profile

Comments

Share on activity feed

Post with LinkedIn

Powered by WP LinkPress

Share this Presentation

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00

All Posts