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NEW YORK — Do you say “please” when you ask ChatGPT to write a letter for you? What about saying “thank you” once it’s written? If you think it’s weird to treat artificial intelligence with politeness, a new survey has a surprise for you. It turns out that 48% of Americans think AI deserves to be spoken to politely, with Gen Z being the nicest to robots!
The recent survey conducted by Talker Research reveals that nearly half of Americans believe in extending common courtesies to their digital assistants, with younger generations leading this charge. Over half of Gen Z (56%) say that politeness is their default style when interacting with AI.
Two in three people (68%) say, “It’s just my way” when it comes to using manners with AI and similar services. A compassionate 29% of self-described polite users went further, stating that “everyone deserves to be treated with manners whether human or not.”
However, the survey also revealed a generational divide in AI etiquette. While more than half of Gen Z and 52% of millennials say they’re polite to AI, this number dropped to 44% among Gen X and just 39% for boomers.
Interestingly, the study found that 39% of Americans believe that our past behavior towards AI, Alexa, Siri, and other robotic entities might be taken into account in the future. This perception suggests a growing awareness of the potential long-term implications of our interactions with AI.
Not everyone is convinced of the need for robot manners, though. A quarter of respondents described their approach to chatbots and automated encounters as more functional, asking for and expecting answers without adding please or thanks. Moreover, 27% agreed with the statement: “It’s ok to be rude or shout at things like Alexa/AI, they have no feelings.”
The survey also uncovered a gender divide in attitudes towards AI politeness. While men and women similarly agree that AI deserves manners (49% and 47%, respectively), men are significantly more likely to feel it’s acceptable to be rude or swear at AI (34% of men versus 20% of women).
Whether this trend will impact the development of AI or our relationships with technology remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: for many Americans, good manners extend beyond human interactions into the digital realm.
Survey methodology
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans. The survey was commissioned by Talker News and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 21 and June 24, 2024.
Rudeness or politeness is a habit. Practice what YOU want to be.