PsychNology Journal, Volume 7, Number 1, 49 - 57
Ethical implications of verbal disinhibition with conversational agents
Antonella De Angeli
University of Manchester, UK
ABSTRACT
This paper presents a reflection on the ethical implications of conversational agents. The reflection is motivated by recent empirical findings showing that, when interacting in natural language with artificial partners, users tend to indulge in disinhibited behaviour, such as flaming, bullying and sexual harassment. The paper then addresses the question whether conversational agents open any ethical issues and whether this new communication context requires the definition of new moral values and principles or could be addressed by ordinary moral norms.
KEYWORDS
embodied conversational agents, Internet disinhibition, verbal abuse.CITE AS
De Angeli, A. (2009). Ethical implications of verbal disinhibition with conversational agents. PsychNology Journal, 7(1), 49 – 57. Retrieved [month] [day], [year], from www.psychnology.org.
Download Full Text (.pdf)
Return to PsychNology Journal, Volume 7, Number 1