Because AI is already such a big part of our daily lives and will become more and more involved in the future, researchers ask children ages 4 to 11 how we should treat intelligent technology. I asked if
Researchers at Duke University asked children if they thought the Alexa and Roomba devices had the ability to think and feel, to determine if they should be treated differently because they weren’t human. .
Alexa is Amazon’s virtual assistant that can interact, play music, stream podcasts, provide real-time information, and more. Roomba is an autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner made by iRobot that can sense obstacles and navigate the floors of your home.
The researchers were partly inspired by Hollywood’s depictions of human-robot interactions on shows like HBO. Westworld.
“of Westworld and movie Ex Machinawe see how adults interact with robots in such a very cruel and frightening way,” said Teresa Flanagan, lead author of the study. Would you like to interact with
Researchers recruited 127 children aged 4 to 11 to watch a 20-minute video of each technology before questioning them about the device. Questions included asking children if the technology knows the difference between right and wrong, has emotions, and if it’s okay to yell and slap when the technology doesn’t work.
Overall, the results of the study show that children judged that both Alexa and Roomba were probably not ticklish and painless when pinched, and that they were aware that the device was painless. It suggests that there are
However, he acknowledged that Alexa, not Roomba, has mental and emotional abilities. The researchers attribute this to Alexa’s ability to speak.
“Even without a body, young children think Alexa has feelings and hearts,” Flanagan said. They don’t believe Roomba has emotions or spirit, which makes Alexa’s ability to communicate verbally something special.”
Children of all ages agreed that slapping or yelling at a device was wrong, regardless of the device’s perceived capabilities.
“Children don’t seem to think Roomba has psychic abilities like thinking and feeling,” says Flanagan. “But the kids still think we should handle it well.
But this kindness faded as the children grew older. The older I get, the more I find it acceptable to attack technology.
“Four- and five-year-olds seem to think they have no right to commit moral transgressions, such as attacking people,” Flanagan said. “But as they get older they seem to think it’s not great, but you have the freedom to do it.”
With AI like ChatGPT gaining traction, the findings of this study provide insight into the relationship between children and technology and whether ethics should guide children in their dealings with intelligent technology. And researchers say it raises questions about the role parents may play in modeling good behavior in their children.
In the meantime, however, we plan to undertake further research investigating why children think it’s wrong or right to attack technology.
The study was published in a journal developmental psychology.
Source: Duke University
