New research reveals how humans judge the moral minds of artificial intelligence
New research reveals how humans judge the moral minds of artificial intelligence
Publish Date: 2026-05-30 14:44:00
Source Domain: www.psypost.org
Artificial intelligence systems are increasingly being asked to make recommendations that have serious moral consequences, raising questions about how humans decide to trust these artificial advisors. A new study published in Computers in Human Behavior suggests that people do not simply trust an artificial intelligence based on whether it acts friendly or logical, but rather on how well its communication style matches the severity of the situation and the ethical choices it makes.
Researchers Lianshan Zhang and Mei Yin Zhao wanted to understand how humans perceive the moral minds of artificial conversational agents. “AI chatbots are increasingly being used not only for casual conversation, but also in contexts where their recommendations may carry moral or social consequences, such as healthcare, autonomous driving, and national security,” said Zhang, an associate professor at the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai.
“This made us interested in how people judge whether an AI system seems morally capable or trustworthy, not simply whether it gives a correct answer, but whether it appears to reason, care, and communicate appropriately in morally difficult situations.”
Two main psychological concepts explain how people view moral decision-makers in these digital contexts. The first is perceived moral agency, which refers to the belief that an entity can make intentional, deliberate choices and be held accountable for its actions. The second concept is perceived moral emotion. This involves the belief that an entity can feel or express concern, sympathy, and care for others, even if those feelings are simulated by a machine.
Zhang and Zhao wanted to see how different observable behaviors influence these perceptions. They focused on conversational style, which can be warm and friendly or highly logical and competent. They also looked at the specific moral stances a system might take in a difficult…
