Embodied conversational agents: trust, deception and the suspension of disbelief

Matthew Peter Aylett, Mei Yii Lim, Katerina Pappa, Bruce W Wilson, Ruth Aylett, Mario Parra

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution book

1 Citation (Scopus)
77 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Building trust is often cited as important for the success of a service or application. When part of the system is an embodied conversational agent (ECA), the design of the ECA has an impact on a user’s trust. In this paper we discuss whether designing an ECA for trust also means designing an ECA to give a false impression of sentience, whether such an implicit deception can undermine a sense of trust, and the impact such a design process may have on a vulnerable user group, in this case users living with dementia. We conclude by arguing that current trust metrics ignore the importance of a willing suspension of disbelief and its role in social computing.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTAS '23
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Trustworthy Autonomous Systems
Place of PublicationNew York, NY
Number of pages3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jul 2023

Publication series

NameACM International Conference Proceeding Series

Keywords

  • dementia
  • social agents
  • deception
  • trust

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