In the light of the noted phenomenon in which humans develop emotional attachments to artificial intelligence, this study aims to explore how cultural and societal aspects affect the phenomenon and its establishment in societies. The study is of a comparative nature and intends to contrast the establishment of the phenomenon in Japanese and Swedish contexts and understand which interactive aspects have contributed to the current situation. Two qualitative methods are included to examine the different contexts, one of which consists of a qualitative content analysis of documents related to the Japanese context, while the other consists of a quasi-experiment resulting in semi-structured interviews with Swedish participants. The results show that AI is an integrated part of Japanese society and culture, while in Sweden, AI is seen more as a tool. The widespread loneliness in Japan has led to an increased acceptance of AI, while in Sweden emotional use of AI is unusual and stigmatized. Japan's work ethic and respect for hierarchy and language are reflected in the AI's interactions, contributing to a cultural appreciation for AI that upholds polite patterns of interaction. In contrast to this, AI's politeness is perceived in Sweden as excessive and not in line with Swedish interaction rituals. However, the study suggests that the phenomenon may become established in Sweden in the future.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-130713 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Hammarqvist, Mejja, Peil, Ebba |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för samhällsstudier (SS) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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