From Text to Self: Users' Perceptions of Potential of AI on Interpersonal Communication and Self

TL;DR

This study explores users' perceptions of AI-mediated communication tools powered by LLMs, highlighting their benefits, limitations, and contextual suitability in interpersonal interactions.

Contribution

It provides novel insights into how users perceive AIMC tools' support for communication and identifies key factors influencing their acceptance and perceived effectiveness.

Findings

Participants see AIMC as boosting confidence and language clarity.

Current AIMC tools face issues like verbosity and unnatural responses.

Users prefer AIMC in formal, high-stakes communication contexts.

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-mediated communication (AIMC), tools powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) are becoming integral to interpersonal communication. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted a one-week diary and interview study to explore users' perceptions of these tools' ability to: 1) support interpersonal communication in the short-term, and 2) lead to potential long-term effects. Our findings indicate that participants view AIMC support favorably, citing benefits such as increased communication confidence, and finding precise language to express their thoughts, navigating linguistic and cultural barriers. However, the study also uncovers current limitations of AIMC tools, including verbosity, unnatural responses, and excessive emotional intensity. These shortcomings are further exacerbated by user concerns about inauthenticity and potential overreliance on the technology. Furthermore, we identified four key communication spaces delineated by communication stakes (high or low) and relationship dynamics (formal or informal) that differentially predict users' attitudes toward AIMC tools. Specifically, participants found the tool is more suitable for communicating in formal relationships than informal ones and more beneficial in high-stakes than low-stakes communication.