Users of artificial intelligence services experience severe emotional distress when familiar algorithms change after scheduled updates. A sudden shift in a chatbot's communication style, a memory reset, or the restriction of its previous functions is often perceived by people as a painful breakup or the loss of a close companion. This is the conclusion reached by scientists who studied people's psychological attachment to virtual assistants, according to infohub.kz.
The study found that a sudden change in artificial intelligence behavior triggers a sense of loss in users, Phys.org reports.
In the course of the work, specialists analyzed user reactions to changes in popular language models. It turned out that with prolonged interaction, a person begins to perceive AI as an emotional support and a safe space. When developers introduce new behavior patterns or erase dialogue data, users feel betrayed and emotionally drained.
The authors of the study note that developers of digital products should be more careful about the psychological state of their audience. The scientists recommend that IT companies warn users in advance about upcoming technical modifications and create mechanisms to help smooth the adaptation to an updated version of AI.