למה אנחנו צריכים להתרחק ממוסכמות שמות אנתרופומורפיות ב-AI

Artificial intelligence has become a focal point of discussion and sometimes heated debates. The fundamental concerns are not unfounded. Its penetration into almost every area of work and lifestyle has touched the heart of human existence. While technology, driving a wave of innovation, optimization, and various other beneficial applications, has also broadened horizons for troubling implications with its widespread adoption.

The spread of fake or misleading information on a large scale has significantly increased. Biased and failed programming is another concern, as well as issues related to consumer privacy, identity theft, the rise of AI capitalism, displacement of jobs, economic inequality, biases in artificial intelligence, unethical values in AI systems, and usage for illegal purposes, among others. The list goes on.

Experts have not overlooked any of these implications. They have discussed such scenarios in public forums. Efforts are indeed being made to mitigate the risk or eliminate it entirely, but experts acknowledge that they are ultimately dealing with a game of uncertainties. The expectation of how artificial intelligence might evolve could be higher than its actual development. The public debate between the two AI giants, Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio, did not help matters, leading to further confusion and anxiety.

However, a concern that has received little to no attention until recently is the issue at the forefront of innovators and marketers in the industry: when developing products and services, how should one behave in naming or branding something new?

What's in a Name?

Although technology names may seem trivial, they can have unexpected implications in today's world, especially regarding the anthropomorphic conventions often used in naming AI agents, bots, and the like.

Take, for example, service interfaces, especially those in the Western world, which often tend to give female names. McKinsey's AI assistant is called Lili; Hanson Robotics' social robot responds to the name Sophia; Microsoft's personal assistant is known as Cortana; and then there's the most famous virtual assistant of all: Alexa – even though "she" might be related to Siri when you're on the road.

Using female gender names for AI bots one controls can lead to reinforcing the idea that women are subordinate to men. It's not just a consequence. Furthermore, employing anthropomorphic conventions in naming artificial intelligence could impact its perceived potential to cause harm, as it begins to look like having a "mind of its own".

Behaving like a god without understanding the potential ramifications of what you create inevitably poses a definite risk towards the technology if its intelligence surpasses that of humans. While this may seem trivial, it can facilitate transformative approaches that incite fear, as observed by several technology companies that have used it.

Where do humans fall on the value spectrum if this technology can exceed everything someone can create? For many people, AI humanlike behavior makes it challenging to differentiate between non-commercial and commercial aspects of interpersonal relationships, such as personality, ethics, and trust.

Experience: The Name We Give Ourselves

With the first wave of digital transformation, learners have been key on its secondary effects. For example, one needs only to look at the massive dissemination of social media and digital interfaces. As a result of the social norm transformations, society began to see a surge in anonymous aggressiveness and even slander online. It is still too early to determine the long-term effects, as digital anthropology is a relatively new scientific field. Nevertheless, the expected implications can intensify over time.

As trivial as it may sound, the same "rule" applies to naming AI across its various iterations. Technology should be seen as an enabler rather than a competitor to real people. Innovation and marketing teams must help their customers navigate the AI industry better, and part of the journey may include anthropomorphic naming conventions. These conventions can indeed determine the long-term success of a new technology.

As Martin Heidegger once said, "Everywhere we remain unfree and chained to technology, whether we approve of it or deny it. But we are delivered over to it in the worst possible way when we see it as something neutral; for this conception, which today we particularly like to do homage to, makes us blind to the essence of technology." These words are something to always remember.

A Rose by Any Other Name

For reference and approval, you can look at the naming conventions used for drugs and those used for website addresses.

Existing naming regulations exist to ensure that no one can make assumptions about efficacy, which can greatly influence consumer perception and purchasing likelihood. When it comes to naming generic drugs, they are required to use two bars in the prefix, avoid specific letters, and refrain from medical terminology. Odd names may also trigger more in-depth scrutiny and lead to rejection.

Regarding URLs, the emphasis is on keeping things clear and concise. Another recommendation is to use lowercase letters and avoid special characters. The goal is to have a complex name composed solely of letters, hyphens, and numbers, along with "names" that specifically explain the components of the website. Deviation from these guidelines could cause issues.

Similarly, artificial intelligence tools would benefit from similar naming conventions. This approach helps maintain the technology, at least in the eyes of the consumer, directly in the product category. After all, that's what it is. Anthropomorphic naming conventions can do the opposite, causing artificial intelligence to appear as a human substitute. Avoiding giving a human name to technology also opens up the opportunity to clarify the goals and capabilities of that technology.

Names are now brands. In fact, they were brands before branding was even a concern. Richard Branson serves as a testament to that. Celebrities and public figures like Cher, Madonna, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Neil Patel, and Simon Sinack have also become brands in their own right.

Not that people will necessarily confuse AI with a real person, but using anthropomorphic naming conventions can lead to implications far beyond gender stereotypes. It can cause people to relate to technology as if it were human, blurring the lines between human and machine.

Kathrin Zimmermann is the CEO and Managing Director at TLGG, an Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG) company.