What does it mean when a computer says I?

Gargett, Andrew (2023). What does it mean when a computer says I? In: Patterson, Laura ed. The Routledge Handbook of Pronouns. New York, NY, USA: Routledge, pp. 302–314.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003349891-25

Abstract

Pronoun drop is a linguistic phenomenon in which speakers are allowed to omit personal pronouns in a sentence. Recent research in psychology and behavioral economics has provided emerging evidence linking this linguistic feature to various dimensions of decision-making. This chapter summarizes the theoretical background underlying the pronoun drop effect. Then, drawing on examples from Chinese, Japanese, and English, it discusses why and how pronoun drop can be strategically used to influence decision-making in economic contexts, including intertemporal, risky, pro-social, and moral decisions.

Plain Language Summary

This chapter is concerned with the use of the first-person singular pronoun by computers, and demonstrates how one pronoun can raise all kinds of questions and issues that are central to Artificial Intelligence and beyond. Along the way, the investigation touches on robot agency, the limits of interacting with chat bots, self-awareness in messy shoppers, the links between reflexive thinking and moral responsibility, and whether AI replicates or complements human activity. The chapter concludes that without being able to replicate a first-person perspective, AI technology is more likely to realise its potential through extending rather than replacing human roles.

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