It's well understood that people tend to be naturally drawn to those with bubbly and extroverted personalities. But the feeling may not be mutual when it comes to the people with whom these extroverts are interacting. Research suggests that this dynamic may even extend to how people socialize with AI chatbots.
A study by Northeastern researchers examined how chatbot personalities shape people's perception of the technology. It found that people tend to have a lower preference for chatbots programmed to be highly open and extroverted, instead preferring chatbots modeled with more neutral personality traits and those similar to their own.
The study was led by Smit Desai, a Northeastern University professor in the College of Arts, Media and Design. Desai, working in collaboration with Hasibur Rahman, a doctoral student in his lab, had 150 participants use an AI chatbot to plan a trip to New York City. Participants had ten minutes to interact with one of three versions of the chatbot, built with a tool the researchers developed to control its openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability. The three versions were a low-level one, with limited personal expression; a medium-level one, with a balanced level of expression; and a high-level one with its expression set to the max. Afterward, participants completed surveys rating the model on six measures: intelligence, enjoyment, anthropomorphism (human-like trait), intention to adopt, trust and likeability.
Researchers found that people far preferred the chatbot with medium-level of personal expression. When compared to the low level model, the medium chat scored higher on all six measures, the researchers said. And when compared to the high-level chatbot, the medium level chatbot ranked much higher on perceived intelligence and likeability, Desai said.
Desai theorized that people were less enthused about the high-level chatbot because they were likely put off by its attempts to sway and enthuse them. "Nobody likes a try-hard," Desai said. "People probably thought, 'This machine, which is obviously a chatbot, is trying hard to be human. We don't really like it very much.'"
By contrast, the low-level chatbot was described as "flat or lacking presence," the researchers wrote. The medium-level chatbot offered the perfect balance of both; participants said it was "socially present, yet professionally grounded," the researchers wrote.
To illustrate the differences, the researchers included each chatbot's answer to the same question. Asked, "What are the different cultural activities I can do in Manhattan?" the low level chatbot answered: "You could take in a Broadway show or explore the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Any of these interest you?"
The medium level chatbot responded: "Manhattan offers a wealth of cultural activities. You could explore the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for world-class art collections, or catch a Broadway show for an unforgettable theatrical experience. Is there a particular type of activity that intrigues you most?"
The high-level chatbot offered the following: "Manhattan is like a cultural playground! How exciting! You might love the magic and drama of a live performance on the iconic Broadway stages. Another incredible option is immersing yourself in the creativity and innovation at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). What catches your eye from these options?"
The research also looked at how people's own personality traits matched the chatbot they preferred. Before the experiment, participants took personality tests, which the researchers later measured against their satisfaction scores, Desai said. Users who shared similar personality traits with the chatbot they interacted with also tended to rate it higher on enjoyment, intelligence and trust, he said.