It may be the most unnecessary “thank you” when we say it to artificial intelligence, but science knows why we do
it
As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of our daily lives—answering questions, organizing information, and helping with work or studies, there are quite a few people who end their conversations with a spontaneous “thank you.” To some, it seems unnecessary; to others, it’s funny. Psychology, however, suggests that this small gesture of kindness is by no means random.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
A series of five scientific studies reveals that gratitude toward artificial intelligence (and, more generally, toward non-human entities, whether artificial intelligence, forests, or ocean currents) is a deeply human reaction. When something appears to be helping you, the brain activates the same mechanisms it would activate in response to a human being. And this happens because, without realizing it, we tend to attribute human qualities, intentions, and emotions to non-human things.
According to the findings, published in *Emotion* and based on data from 2,019 participants, when we perceive that something acts as if it intends to help us, then gratitude arises naturally, even if it’s not a person.
Gratitude as a “default setting”
The first study showed that people who are more inclined to personify the things around them also feel more gratitude toward them. About 400 adults were asked to recall two artificial and two natural non-human objects they had encountered during the week. Those who more readily attributed “human” characteristics to these objects also felt more strongly that the objects had provided them with something. As the researchers explain, this was not a matter of good mood, but of a specific cognitive habit.
The next two studies showed that this tendency can be triggered even momentarily. In one of these, approximately 330 people read either a description that portrayed computers as having awareness and intentions, or a description that portrayed them as purely mechanical systems. Those who read the first version felt greater gratitude because they felt that the system “responds,” that it participates and understands.
Not Just Artificial Intelligence
The same pattern repeated itself when the researchers turned to nature and used the Amazon as an example. Those who read a description that portrayed the forest as having intentions felt not only more gratitude but also a greater willingness to protect it. Gratitude, just as in human relationships, seems to trigger the need to “give something back.”
In another study, researchers turned their attention to the Kuroshio Ocean Current. When participants imagined that it “functioned” with a purpose and focused on its benefits, they were more willing to support environmental protection efforts. Simply put, when something (even a natural phenomenon) is presented as helpful, gratitude follows almost automatically.
The last two studies focused on what happens when people feel they are receiving a tangible benefit from what is before them. In an economic game, for example, participants believed they were playing against either a simple, automated program or a system that operated with intent. When the latter appeared more generous, the participants felt greater gratitude and said they trusted it more—almost as they would a person who treated them well.
Source: in.gr
