Think AI ‘knows’ what it’s doing? Well, think again - Digital Journal

2026-05-03 · Source: artifical intelligence via Google News · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Publishing & Journalism, Social Sciences & Behavioral Studies · Depth: Novice, short

Summary

A new study from Iowa State University analyzed how journalists describe artificial intelligence, specifically focusing on the use of human-like language, or anthropomorphism. The research, published in "Technical Communication Quarterly," examined the News on the Web (NOW) corpus, a dataset of over 20 billion words from English-language news articles across 20 countries. Contrary to common assumptions, the study found that news writers rarely use strongly human-like language when referring to AI. While mental verbs like "think," "know," and "understand" are common in everyday speech, they appear far less frequently in news reporting about AI and ChatGPT. When such terms are used, they often describe basic requirements (e.g., "AI needs data") rather than implying human-like cognition or intentions, with "needs" being the most frequent pairing for AI (661 times) and "knows" for ChatGPT (32 times).

Key takeaway

For technical communicators and journalists describing AI, recognize that precise language prevents misleading audiences about AI's actual capabilities. Your word choices, especially avoiding anthropomorphic terms like "AI thinks" or "ChatGPT knows," are critical for setting realistic expectations and maintaining accuracy. Focus on describing AI as a tool that processes data rather than an entity with human-like cognition or intentions, thereby reinforcing human accountability for its development and use.

Key insights

Journalists use anthropomorphic language for AI less frequently and more nuancedly than often assumed.

Principles

• Anthropomorphism can mislead about AI capabilities.
• Context is crucial for interpreting AI language.
• Editorial standards influence AI descriptions.

Method

Researchers analyzed the News on the Web (NOW) corpus, a 20-billion-word dataset, to quantify mental verb usage alongside "AI" and "ChatGPT" in news articles from 20 countries.

In practice

• Avoid mental verbs like "think" or "know" for AI.
• Focus on AI's pattern analysis, not intentions.
• Attribute responsibility to human developers.

Topics

• Anthropomorphism
• AI Language
• Media Coverage
• Mental Verbs
• AI Hype Cycle

Best for: Tech Journalist, AI Ethicist, Research Scientist

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by artifical intelligence via Google News.