Artificial intelligence, artificial impressions? AI, social judgment, and human–machine communication

Austin J. Beattie and Riley J. Richards

Chapter 17 in Research Handbook on Social Judgment, 2026, pp 284-302 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter examines how people interact with artificial intelligence, chatbots, and other machine agents, and how they apply judgment to these technologies within human communication environments. Drawing from social psychology and human–machine communication, we discuss the processes behind social judgments such as the trustworthiness, competence, and friendliness of machines. Additionally, we review the impressions of these technologies in terms of credibility, social presence, competence, and social support, while considering the ethical implications of designing machines to mimic human social behavior. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the future of human–nonhuman interaction and the potential shifts these technologies may bring, offering discussion stemming from psychology, communication, and technology research on the evolving nature of social judgments toward machine agents.

Keywords: Human–Machine Communication; Social Judgement; Cognition; Artificial Intelligence; Communication; Computer-Mediated Communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332533
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