Can Computer Based Human-Likeness Endanger Humanness?” – A Philosophical and Ethical Perspective on Digital Assistants Expressing Feelings They Can’t Have

Jaana Porra (), Mary Lacity () and Michael S. Parks ()
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Jaana Porra: University of Houston
Mary Lacity: University of Arkansas
Michael S. Parks: University of Houston

Information Systems Frontiers, 2020, vol. 22, issue 3, No 2, 533-547

Abstract: Abstract Digital assistants engage with us with increasingly human-like conversations, including the expression of human emotions with such utterances as “I am sorry…”, “I hope you enjoy…”, “I am grateful…”, or “I regret that…”. By 2021, digital assistants will outnumber humans. No one seems to stop to ask if creating more digital companions that appear increasingly human is really beneficial to the future of our species. In this essay, we pose the question: “How human should computer-based human-likeness appear?” We rely on the philosophy of humanness and the theory of speech acts to consider the long-term consequences of living with digital creatures that express human-like feelings. We argue that feelings are the very substance of our humanness and therefore are best reserved for human interaction.

Keywords: Humanness; Artificial intelligence; Speech act theory; Existential philosophy; Colonial systems; Information colonies; Self; Feelings; Emotions; Digital assistants; Human-likeness; User interface design; Realistic digital humans; Robots; Ethics; Evolution; Computer based information systems; Future generations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10796-019-09969-z

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