CAREER: Calibrating User Trust in GenAI Chatbots: Investigating the Effects of Competing Cues and Interactivity Strategies to Mitigate Unfounded Cognitive Heuristics

NSF Award Search · 01002829DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $582,392 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) that produces new content - text, images or videos - in response to the user input is known as generative AI. The output of these systems is designed to look and feel like human communication. However, generative AI systems can lead users to trust the system too much, leading them to share inappropriate information for the circumstances. For example, conversational AI systems, or chatbots, talk like humans and may encourage users to trust them without enough objective information to support that trust. This affects decision-making and can lead to unsafe disclosures of personal information. The goal of this research is to find ways to reduce quick user judgments from affecting decisions and help design AI systems that are safer and more responsible. The investigators will design, build, and test strategies that counter quick intuitive judgments using theories of communication and Human-AI interaction. The results of this study will be shared in a toolbox to help others design AI chatbots more ethically and responsibly. The toolbox will also help teach people about AI and chatbots, which will equip them for the workforce of the future. This CAREER project investigates strategies to ensure that user trust of Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots is warranted. Warranted trust involves assessments based on the actual capacities of the AI chatbot, rather than reliance on unfounded heuristics (or cognitive rules of thumb). This will be achieved in two phase

Key facts

NSF award ID
2440090
Awardee
Michigan State University (MI)
SAM.gov UEI
R28EKN92ZTZ9
PI
Maria D Molina
Primary program
01002829DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, Cyber-Human Systems
Estimated total
$582,392
Funds obligated
$334,794
Transaction type
Continuing Grant
Period
06/15/2025 → 05/31/2030