When Machines 'Think': Anthropomorphization in the Discourse on AI - Conceptual Risks and Proposal for a Non-Anthropomorphic Lexicon for NLP in Portuguese

2026-04-12 · Source: Paper Index on ACL Anthology · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing · Depth: Expert, quick

Summary

Anabela Barreiro's 2026 paper, "When Machines “Think”: Anthropomorphism in AI Discourse - Conceptual Risks and a Proposal for a Non-Anthropomorphic Lexicon for NLP in Portuguese," addresses the issue of anthropomorphizing Artificial Intelligence systems, particularly within Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Portuguese. The paper highlights how phrases like "the model understands" or "the system hallucinates" can lead to conceptual misunderstandings and misrepresent models' actual capabilities. Published in the Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computational Processing of Portuguese (PROPOR 2026), the article proposes a new terminological framework. This framework aims to describe NLP systems in Portuguese using non-anthropomorphic metaphors, offering specific linguistic reformulations to enhance conceptual precision and improve AI literacy among users and developers.

Key takeaway

For research scientists and developers working with NLP in Portuguese, you should critically evaluate your descriptive language to avoid anthropomorphic terms. Adopting a non-anthropomorphic lexicon, as proposed, can prevent conceptual misunderstandings about AI system capabilities and foster greater clarity in technical communication, ultimately improving AI literacy for all stakeholders.

Key insights

Anthropomorphic language in AI discourse creates conceptual misunderstandings and misrepresents system capabilities.

Principles

• Avoid anthropomorphic metaphors.
• Enhance conceptual precision.
• Improve AI literacy.

Method

The paper proposes a terminological framework with linguistic reformulations for describing NLP systems in Portuguese without anthropomorphic language.

In practice

• Use non-anthropomorphic terms.
• Reformulate common AI phrases.

Topics

• Anthropomorphism in AI
• Natural Language Processing
• Portuguese Language
• AI Literacy
• Terminological Framework

Best for: Research Scientist, AI Scientist, NLP Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Paper Index on ACL Anthology.