Abstract Book of the 6th World Conference on Media and Communication
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Perceiving Humility in Human-AI Communication: Character, Authenticity, and Discernment in the Age of Generative Media
Nathan Crissman
ABSTRACT:
Artificial intelligence now speaks with voices that appear empathetic, self-aware, and even humble. As these systems increasingly shape online communication, they blur the moral and emotional boundaries between human and machine-generated expression. This presentation explores how audiences interpret humility and authenticity in AI-mediated communication and what these perceptions reveal about character, credibility, and discernment in digital culture.
Drawing from a quantitative study of 478 participants who evaluated between AI- and human-written texts expressing humility, the research found that participants’ reflective engagement, rather than educational understanding, best predicted accurate discernment. These results suggest that what enables people to recognize AI speech is not information literacy alone, but the character-based identity that shapes how they read and judge messages.
The session applies these findings to contemporary media environments, considering how AI alters rhetorical expectations of sincerity and virtue in public discourse. Attendees will gain insight into how humility and moral perception function as communicative cues in human-machine interaction, and how educators and media practitioners can foster discernment that preserves authenticity in the age of generative media.
Keywords: AI communication; discernment; humility; authenticity; human–machine interaction; moral perception; digital ethics