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A University of Kansas interdisciplinary team led by relationship psychologist Omri Gillath has published a new paper in the journal Computers in Human Behavior showing people’s trust in artificial intelligence (AI) is tied to their relationship or attachment style.

Importantly, the research also suggests trust in artificial intelligence can be increased by reminding people of their secure relationships with other humans.

The research indicates for the first time that people who are anxious about their relationships with humans tend to have less trust in AI as well.

In three studies, attachment style, thought to play a central role in romantic and parent-child relationships, was shown also to affect people’s trust in artificial intelligence.

Some of the research’s key findings: (1) people’s attachment anxiety predicts less trust in artificial intelligence; (2) enhancing attachment anxiety reduced trust in artificial intelligence and (3) enhancing attachment security increases trust in artificial intelligence.

“Most research on trust in artificial intelligence focuses on cognitive ways to boost trust. Here we took a different approach by focusing on a ‘relational affective’ route to boost trust, seeing AI as a partner or a team member rather than a device,” said Gillath, professor of psychology at KU.

“The findings show you can predict and increase people’s trust levels in non-humans based on their early relationships with humans,” Gillath said.

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