The role of perceived anthropomorphism and anthropomorphic design elements in willingness to delegate writing tasks to AI: Findings from a large-scale survey and a randomized controlled experiment

With the growing integration of text-generating AI systems like ChatGPT into writing, understanding the factors that influence human-AI interactions and task delegation is crucial. Psychological and design-related factors shaping these behaviors remain largely unexplored. To address this research gap, we conducted two studies: a large-scale survey (N = 1007) and a randomized controlled experiment (N = 397). The survey investigated the impact of perceptions of AI systems on individuals’ willingness to delegate writing tasks to AI and revealed perceived trustworthiness and anthropomorphism as significant predictors of willingness to delegate writing tasks to AI, while there were no effects of perceptions of social agency and AI intelligence. Building on these insights, the experiment tested the causal effects of anthropomorphic design features on user perceptions, delegation behavior, and co-created text outcomes. Participants interacted with AI systems varying in anthropomorphism and completed both personal and professional writing tasks. Anthropomorphic design increased perceptions of trustworthiness, intelligence, emotional engagement, and social presence. It also led to more frequent prompting and greater adoption of AI-generated content, particularly in professional contexts, along with increased use of analytical language. However, users tended to underestimate the AI’s contribution, especially in professional tasks and when interacting with an anthropomorphic AI—raising considerations around authorship awareness and attribution. Overall, this research sheds light on the complex dynamics of human-AI interaction, offering insights into how user- and task-related factors as well as AI design influence task delegation decisions in the context of writing. Findings can inform AI design and optimize future use.