Scientific Literature Seminar on

1. Title Scientific Literature Seminar on Trust – A Case For and Against Anthropomorhism Klaus P. Jantke jantke@fit-leipzig.de jantke@meme.hokudai.ac.jp

2. We would like to widen our horizons. • We would like to relate our own work to research in other disciplines. • When dealing with terms like TRUST and ANTHROPOMORPHISM, we are coming close to the frontier of the current sciences, … • … thus, perhaps, better understanding the difficulties and risks of using terms like trust and the practice of anthropo-morphism in our own science. Motivation

3. Research in Cognitive Sciences and Neurophysiology on „Trust“ Topic Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: „assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something …“ … where the „something“ may be a problem, as we will see.

4. Research in Cognitive Sciences and Neurophysiology on „Trust“ Topic Within Artificial Intelligence, esp. in Multi-Agent Systems, there is a research direction focussing on „trust“. This is a representative case of anthropomorphism. Encyclopedia Britannica Online: „the attribution of human form or other human characteristics to any nonhuman object.“

5. Guido Möllering The Nature of Trust: From Georg Simmel to a Theory of Expectation, Interpretation and Suspension. Sociology 35 (2001) pp. 403–420 Back to the Roots: Georg Simmel‘s Books 1900, 1908 Sources Ralph Adolphs Trust in the brain. Nature neuroscience 5 (2002) 3, pp. 8–9 Michael Kosfeld, Markus Heinrichs, Paul J. Zak, Urs Fischbacher, Ernst Fehr Oxytocin increases trust in humans. Nature 435 (2005) pp. 673–676

6. Marc Bekoff Social Play Behaviour. Cooperation, Fairness, Trust and the Evolution of Morality. J. Consciousness Studies 8 (2001) 2, pp. 81–90 Sources Paul J. Zak Trust. The Economic Journal 111 (2001) pp. 295–321 Paul J. Zak, Robert Kurzban, William T. Matzner The Neurobiology of Trust. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1032 (2004) pp. 224–227

7. A General Thesis A large number of computer scientists have some tendency to trifle with terms from other disciplines. This applies to anthropomorphic approaches to computer systems, in particular. Thesis In some cases, this is misleading or even harming our own discipline. Believing Software vs. Awaiting Light Switches

8. My Position We may take an anthropomorphic stand whenever it makes sense (to us). But we should be aware of what we are doing. In particular, we should be aware of the limitations and risks. Position Trust – in particular – is much more complex, deep, interesting and difficult to handle. Over-simplifications may be disadvantageous. Higher trust does not mean the acceptance of higher risks.

9. My Position A few words about the neuropeptide oxytocin ... Trust is – by far – not rational. Trust is not yet well-understood. Trust relates to oxytocin release. According to Georg Simmel, trust is a state of favourable expectation regarding other people‘s actions and intentions. A richer understanding of the nature of trust includes the inherent dualities of knowledge–ignorance and interpretation–suspension. Position

10. The feeling of trust is related to patterns of brain activity that are somehow similar to activations during face recognition, but not similar to any other known patterns. [Adolphs, 2002] Fusiform Gyrus Superior Temporal Sulcus Amygdala Insula Case Study

11. Case Study experiment with intranasal oxytocin administration • two groups of subjects • oxytocin administration (29 subj.) • placebo administration (29) • control experiment • about risk taking • oxytocin administration (31) • placebo administration (30) Case Study

12. Case Study And they really got money in the end … • The Experiment: • two roles: Investor & Trustee • both having initially the same amount on monetary units • Investor sends money to the Trustee • Trustee receives 3 times the amount sent • Trustee may or may not return money to the Investor • End. Case Study The initial amount is 12 MU. Possible rates of sending are 0, 4, 8, and 12 MU. There is no second round. Investors get 50 min. before starting the game a certain amount of oxytocin or placebo.

13. Case Study Oxytocin Group – black Placebo Group – white Case Study Oxytocin Group Placebo Group Mean Average Transfer 9.6 8.1 Standard Deviation 2.8 3.1

14. Case Study Oxytocin Group Placebo Group Mean Average Transfer 9.6 8.1 Standard Deviation 2.8 3.1 Case Study The problem is: Does oxytocin increase the level of trust or does it decrease the human‘s aversion to risk taking?

15. Case Study • The Control Experiment: • two roles: Investor & Trustee • both having initially the same amount on monetary units • Investor sends money to the Trustee • Trustee receives 3 times the amount sent • Trustee may or may not return money to the Investor • End. Case Study The difference is: This time the Trustee is not a human, but a computer program, and the Investor knows that.

16. Case Study Oxytocin Group – black Placebo Group – white Case Study Oxytocin Group Placebo Group Mean Average Transfer 7.5 7.5 Standard Deviation 3.3 3.4

17. Trust corresponds to a pattern of brain activation that is related to face recognition. Trust relates to oxytocin release. Oxytocin release is known to be related to other key events and phenomena in human life (birth, sexual intercourse, pair bonding, …). The experiment suggests: When oxytocin is released, humans „feel some trust“ and act accordingly. Humans may feel trust in other humans, but not in machinery. There is no indication at all that trust in a computer system can ever be achieved. Discussion

18. The following remarks are my very own conclusions. Anthropomorphism might be quite useful, … … but the greater problem in computer science is overstressing anthropomorphism. We should be careful and serious. Conclusion