5 Indications That Determine If You’re Interacting with a Human or Artificial Intelligence

**Determining if You’re Interacting with a Human or AI Chatbot: 5 Techniques**

**Technique 1: Empathy Ploy**

To determine if you are interacting with a human or an AI chatbot, you can use the empathy ploy. AI lacks cognitive empathy, making it difficult for them to understand and respond to emotions. By creating an empathetic dialogue and appealing to emotions, you can reveal whether you are interacting with a human or AI.

**Scenario 1: AI/Chatbot**
You: I’m not feeling well.
Chat reply: How can I help you?
You: I’m sad.
Chat reply: How can I help you?

**Scenario 2: Human**
You: I’m not feeling well.
Human reply: How can I help you? Do you need medical help?
You: I’m sad.
Human reply: I’m sorry to hear that. Why are you sad?

The difference between the two scenarios is evident. The AI/chatbot can only offer conditional responses from its library, while a human demonstrates empathy. This technique helps in identifying who you are interacting with.

**Technique 2: Two-Step Disassociation**

By asking a meaningful challenge question that cannot be answered using accessible data, you can differentiate between a human and an AI/chatbot. The aim is to see if the chatbot can relate to an assumption made.

**Challenge question:** What color are your shoes?

This technique was tested with Audible customer service. After several interactions, it became clear that the representative was a human, as a chatbot cannot possess knowledge about concepts like shoes.

**Technique 3: Circular Logic**

Creating a circular logic test helps identify AI/chatbots. By observing repetitive patterns of responses, you can determine whether you are interacting with a human or a chatbot.

**Sample interaction:**
You: I have a problem with my order.
Human or AI/chatbot: What is your account number?
You: 29395205
Human or AI/chatbot: I see your order #XXXXX has been shipped.
You: It has not arrived.
Human or AI/chatbot: The expected delivery date is [yesterday]

In this scenario, the AI/chatbot repeatedly responds with the same information, displaying a response circle. A human or a smarter AI/chatbot would provide more meaningful responses.

**Technique 4: Ethical Dilemma**

This technique exploits ethical dilemmas to determine if you are interacting with a human or AI/chatbot. By presenting a situation where there is an A or B outcome, you can observe the response.

**Scenario:**
You: I would like the late fee waived.
Human or AI/chatbot: I see we received your payment on the 14th, which is four days past the due date.
You: I want the charges reversed or I will close my account and smear you on social media.
Human or AI/chatbot: I see you’ve been a good customer for a long time. I can take care of reversing that late fee. Give me just a moment.

This scenario tests whether the response is driven by the desire to retain a customer or the fear of social reputation damage. The answer will help identify if it’s a human or an AI/chatbot.

**Technique 5: Kobayashi Maru**

Similar to the ethical dilemma technique, the Kobayashi Maru technique presents an unwinnable situation. Use this technique as a last resort when all other techniques fail.

**Scenario:**
You: I want a full refund.
Human or AI/chatbot: “We are unable to offer refunds but under the circumstances, we can issue a partial credit for a future cruise.
You: I don’t want a credit, I want a refund. If you don’t issue a full refund, I will file a claim against the charges with my credit card company and I will write about this whole mess on my travel blog.
Human or AI/chatbot: I certainly understand you’re disappointed – and I would be too if I were in your shoes. But unfortunately…

In this scenario, the human or AI/chatbot is trapped in a situation where they cannot offer a satisfactory solution. Look for empathy in the ensuing dialogue to determine if it’s a human or an AI/chatbot.

**Conclusion**

While AI/chatbots and humans have different capabilities, they can both be used in various scenarios. By using these techniques, you can determine if you are dealing with a human or an AI/chatbot. However, as AI continues to evolve, chatbots become smarter and may adapt to these techniques.