Why wouldn't we feel moved anymore by a love letter, if it turns out to be an Internet quote or AI-generated? What truly matters is the thoughts behind the letter (or the action of writing)!Happy to share our first "hospitality-specific" theory paper! Dr. Lu Lu and I theorize, based on the philosophical discussions around the "problem of other minds" and "genuine hospitality," that consumers can recognize true hospitable values via AI providers' services/actions only if they see these AIs as conscious entities. Our study further predicts that AIs, no matter how closely they resemble humans in appearance and behavior (i.e., fully humanoid AI vs. Homo Sapience), will still be viewed as less conscious and, thus, less capable of showing genuine hospitality.
Specifically, our theorizing is based on necessity-based causality and Necessary Condition Analysis, a concept developed by Dr. Jan Dul (a special shout-out to him!). I'm overjoyed to have been part of this wonderful team for more than 5 years now!
Academic abstract
This research establishes theĀ Consciousness Attribution Model of AI HospitablenessĀ (CAMAH), an emerging theoretical framework that examines three interconnected aspects: (1) the mechanism of consciousness attribution by consumers towards AI-enabled service providers, (2) the necessity of such attributions in recognizing the symbolic value of AI hospitableness, and (3) a nuanced comparison between human and AI providers concerning their capacity to deliver genuine hospitability. At its core, CAMAH articulates seven foundational propositions around the argument that consuming genuine hospitality delivered by AI service providers necessitates consumersā attribution of consciousness. Our model not only highlights a necessary condition under which AI providers are capable of offering symbolic values through their perceived hospitableness but also delineates the key boundaries of such perceptions, acknowledging the inherent distinctions between AI entitiesānotwithstanding their potential to emulate humanlike form/behaviorāand humans.