Help! My Technology has a Personality and I Don't Like It: Examining Undergraduate Students' Comfort Levels on Building Interpersonal Relationships with, and the Development of, Emerging Technologies

This study was designed to examine undergraduates’ willingness and comfort levels on building interpersonal relationships with, and the development of, emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. The participants of this study were students at the College of Wooster. Using an electronic survey, a quantitative study was performed. The researcher collected data from 272 students, of which 237 participants were used. The results indicated a general level of discomfort regarding building interpersonal relationships with technology, as well as the development of emerging technologies amongst the study population of undergraduate students aged 18- 24 years old. The reported level of discomfort was different amongst different groups of students. Individuals that used current technology the most were overall more comfortable with concepts such as technology having a personality, gaining consciousness, and engaging in interpersonal communications with humans than their lower usage counterparts. Reported gender did not have a significant impact on comfort levels.