The dangers of designing AI chatbots to be human-like

Advancements in artificial intelligence have made it possible for the technology to mimic humans in ever-more convincing ways. But even far less sophisticated tools than today’s chatbots have been shown in research to trick our brains, in a sense, into projecting human thought processes and emotions onto these systems. It’s a cognitive failure that can leave people open to deception and manipulation, which makes the increasingly human-like technologies proliferating in our daily lives particularly dangerous, Rick Claypool, research director at the nonprofit Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization, told Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino.

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Every weekday, host Kai Ryssdal helps you make sense of the day's business and economic news — no econ degree or finance background required. "Marketplace" takes you beyond the numbers, bringing you context. Our team of reporters all over the world speak with CEOs, policymakers and regular people just trying to get by.