Framing the Role of AI Agents Through Metaphors

Abstract

This paper analyses how university students make sense of Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and CoPilot through associations and metaphors. The study aimed to determine how young people cognitively organise and picture these AI devices. 27 university students were asked to provide 3 spontaneous associations of AI in a sentence, which were coded and analysed into dominant metaphorical patterns. The Grounded Theory methodology was employed to interpret the findings. Upon analysing the metaphors students used in their associations, it became clear that they tend to conceptualise AI agents as entities having social, cognitive, and affective impacts and fulfilling the roles of an assistant, tutor, companion, and potential threat. The findings summarise the dynamic and multifaceted nature of how students engage with emerging technologies, suggesting that metaphor is a significant frame through which humanity may better understand the incorporation of AI into their everyday thought. The current study contributes to the ongoing discussion of AI literacy and conceptual framing, offering implications for more human-oriented practices in AI education, while increasing users' agency and awareness.

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