Monday, 16. January 2023, 09:00 – 10:30 Uhr
Prof. Ofir Turel, PhD,
University of Melbourne
"The transient underpinnings and magnitude of resistance to algorithmic advice"
Zoom-Link

Abstract:

People often resist algorithmic advice, despite its advantages. The literature thus far has provided explanations that primarily focus on conscious reflective processes. Here, we supplement this view by taking an unconscious perspective that can be highly informative. Building on theories of implicit prejudice we suggest that for evolutionary reasons, people develop an implicit bias (i.e., prejudice) against artificial intelligence (AI) systems, as a different and threatening “species” the behavior of which is unknown. Like in other prejudice contexts, we expected people to be guided by this implicit bias but try to suppress it. This leads to some willingness to rely on algorithmic advice (appreciation) which is reduced as a function of people’s implicit prejudice against the machine. Next, building on the somatic marker hypothesis and the accessibility-diagnosticity perspective, we provide an explanation as to why aversion is ephemeral. As people learn about the performance of an algorithm, they rely less on primal implicit biases when deciding how much weight to put on the AI’s advice. Four studies support this perspective. The findings ultimately suggest that moving the needle between aversion and appreciation depends initially on one’s general unconscious bias against AI, because there is insufficient information to override it. They further suggest that in later use stages, this shift depends on accessibility to diagnostic information about the AI’s performance that reduces the weight given to unconscious prejudice.

Interdisciplinary Lecture Series:

Interdisziplinäre Vortragsreihe "Responsible algorithmic decision-making in the workplace", organised by the project group Responsible Algorithmic Decision Making in the Workplaceof the Centre Responsible Digitality (ZEVEDI).

• More Information on the lecture series