Paper Type
ERF
Abstract
As GAI adoption expands, its capabilities increasingly foster anthropomorphic perceptions. Drawing on 21 interviews from an ongoing grounded theory study at a U.S.-based organization using Microsoft 365 Copilot alongside ChatGPT, we find that Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) memory, understood as the ability to retain and dialogically recall past interactions, together with interactional alignment, fuels anthropomorphization. By enabling GAI to filter and shape responses in line with users’ preferences, memory creates the impression that the system understands users’ worldview and emotions, thereby supporting perceptions of relationality and human-like interaction.
Paper Number
1857
Recommended Citation
Gatti, Giovanni and Marabelli, Marco, "Anthropomorphizing Generative AI: is Memory All You Need?" (2026). AMCIS 2026 Proceedings. 15.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2026/ai_systdesign/ai_systdesign/15
Anthropomorphizing Generative AI: is Memory All You Need?
As GAI adoption expands, its capabilities increasingly foster anthropomorphic perceptions. Drawing on 21 interviews from an ongoing grounded theory study at a U.S.-based organization using Microsoft 365 Copilot alongside ChatGPT, we find that Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) memory, understood as the ability to retain and dialogically recall past interactions, together with interactional alignment, fuels anthropomorphization. By enabling GAI to filter and shape responses in line with users’ preferences, memory creates the impression that the system understands users’ worldview and emotions, thereby supporting perceptions of relationality and human-like interaction.
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