Abstract
The research is a re-interpretation of nonsense that posits it as a type of knowledge. Nonsense that is spoken is evident around us and is often taken for knowledge meaning that realities and understanding of the world is based on it, which is a problem. By casting nonsense as socially constructed in the same way as knowledge, and understanding it as an entity that shapes the social world that affects people’s actions and behaviours, nonsense is thus power. The re-interpretation of nonsense considers both technological and sociological perspectives. The research draws on findings from the author’s ethnographic doctoral study of conversational AI in 2021 and recent literature around AI. It provides as provocation, a discussion of conversational AI’s potential for deception. The research found that trust in nonsense that is spoken may provide an effective method to influence, coerce and manipulate people. A ‘blueprint’ for the social construction of nonsense is presented which can act as a methodology to further study and understand speech acts of deception through the social construction of nonsense. Alternatively it could be used to develop deception by AI systems.
Presenters
Richy CookSenior Lecturer, Business, Computing and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Conversational AI, Deception, Nonsense, Power, Trust, Influence, Interference, Cyber sociology
