It’s the AI’s fault, not mine: Mind perception increases blame attribution to AI

Abstract

Can artificial intelligences (AIs) be held accountable for moral transgressions? Current research examines how attributing human mind to AI influences the blame assignment to both the AI and the humans involved in real-world moral transgressions. We hypothesized that perceiving AI as having a human mind-like qualities would increase moral blame directed towards AI while decreasing blame attribution to human agents involved. Through three empirical studies—utilizing correlational methods with real-life inspired scenarios in Study 1 and employing experimental manipulations in Studies 2 and 3—our findings demonstrate that perceiving mind in AI increases the likelihood of blaming AIs for moral transgressions. We also explore whether it also diminishes the perceived culpability of human stakeholders, particularly the involved company. Our findings highlight the significance of AI mind perception as a key determinant in increasing blame attribution towards AI in instances of moral transgressions. Additionally, our research sheds light on the phenomenon of moral scapegoating, cautioning against the potential misuse of AI as a scapegoat for moral transgressions. These results emphasize the imperative of further investigating blame attribution assigned to AI entities.