Giving AI chatbots human faces actually makes people more likely to believe the sexist things the AI says.
March 19, 2026
Original Paper
Humanlike AI Can Strengthen Women’s Belief in Sexist Stereotypes
PsyArXiv · eqjsg_v3
The Takeaway
Anthropomorphic design is usually intended to make AI more likable, but it also increases the perceived 'trustworthiness' and 'mind' of the machine. This study found that when a chatbot has humanlike traits, users are more susceptible to its biased claims about gender, suggesting that making AI seem human can inadvertently validate harmful prejudices.
From the abstract
Can interactions with humanlike AI strengthen harmful stereotypical beliefs in people from predisposed and vulnerable groups? Anthropomorphic features have been shown to increase individuals’ perceptions of AI’s trustworthiness, but AI also is known to repeat gender stereotypes, raising the concern that anthropomorphic AI chatbots can strengthen stereotypes in individuals who are predisposed to these beliefs. Consistent with this prediction, we report results from four preregistered experiments