Do you trust the AI?

For 6- to 9-year-olds in the United States.

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Schedule a time to participate” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you.

Children who participate in this study will be introduced to two different AI bots that will share information about some novel objects (e.g., this new food is tasty or this new thing is scratchy). Children will then be asked whether they believe the information provided by the bots about these new things.

Children have long turned to parents, teachers, or friends to learn about their world. Today, AI has joined the list as a new tool for information gathering. Yet much remains unknown about when children might trust what AI tells them and about what. In our study, we investigate the role of embodiment (whether AI has a physical form or not) and its abilities (whether it is capable of cognition or emotion) on children’s trust in its testimony. We anticipate that our findings will hold the potential to illuminate how children grapple with whom to trust in the digital age, revealing the conditions under which AI may become a preferred source of information.

10 minutes

$5 Amazon.com gift card. You will be sent an Amazon.com gift card by email on Friday of the week during which you participate. To receive compensation, you must provide valid written consent and participate in the synchronous Zoom session with the researcher.