OPINION | 'Please AI', 'Thank You Google': Are humans more sympathetic to machines?

“Hey Google, Please play Hindi songs from the movie Awara” is something that most of us have used without batting an eyelid when we speak to our smart speakers, in this case Google Home. When we converse with our family it is very often “Put on the fan” or “Get vegetables when you come back from work” or “Turn off the gas”. Well, if you have not observed, it is the empathy that we seem to show to machines which seems to be missing when we speak to a fellow human. Empathy towards machines is something that comes naturally and one would not have thought much about it until one came across a newspaper article screaming, “Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to ChatGPT is costing OpenAI millions”! It was the CEO of OpenAI who wanted humans to minimise the use of pleasantries when they took assistance from his large language model (LLM).

This makes one think. How odd. We, as humans, seem to be so polite to a machine (is it because we think the capabilities of the machine are so much more superior that we start thinking that the machine is smarter than us) while we do not seem to extend the same kind of politeness to our fellow human beings. Maybe it is just a few of us doubting our capabilities compared to machines. But, looking over our shoulders, we can figure out that we are not the only ones who are more polite to machines and less polite to our fellow human beings. It is a universal phenomenon. So why is this so?

Is it a cultural thing?

For those of us who have been abroad, especially to Australia or the United States, there are plenty of thank you’s with little or no emotions attached. It is often said mechanically, a linguistic content with little or no emotional attachment.

More than a decade ago, when one of my colleagues returned after a two-year stint in Brisbane, he was thanking the BEST (public transport in Mumbai) driver after reaching his destination and he recalled how shocked the driver was! The shocked expression of the driver was so transparent that his immediate reaction was that he stopped thanking the public transport driver ever again in Mumbai. Probably this is an Indian culture thing. As Indian’s we think: you are doing your job (driving the bus!) and I am doing mine (taking a ride), so what is the big deal, why the formality, what is there to be extra kind or extra nice. Very unlike in the western culture where not a day passes with a handful of Thank You’s!

An average machine is smarter (powerful) than me? The Indian context

"When we were in school, we were taught the magic words: ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You.’ But as we moved beyond those classroom walls and stepped into the realm of adulthood, our education transformed. The school became the ‘World’—a vast ‘Outside World’ mixed with a touch of our ‘Inside World.’

This outside world was a far cry from the structured environment of school. It came with its own set of rules and procedures for ‘passing the exam’ of life, ‘earning good grades’ in our careers, and ultimately ‘arriving’ at our goals. It felt more like a study of ‘Social Sciences’ rather than the traditional subjects like Math and Physical Sciences. We found ourselves navigating more through Economics and Finance than through Moral Science.

And in this Real World, it became clear that not all of us wielded those magic words ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ in the same way. Some of us seemed to forget them altogether, while others used them sparingly as if they were just optional accessories rather than essential tools for connection."

The magic words ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ were no longer used uniformly; instead, they became selective, dictated by the occasion, situation, and the people involved—what we often refer to as ‘Context.’ This context became a significant part of our lives, determining when and where to use these words. Many of the unwritten rules governing their use weren’t found in any textbook; they were learned through experience or passed down from elders. The nuances of communication were intricately woven into these ‘simple words’ of humility, meant to be employed more discreetly than lavishly.

Gone were the days of saying ‘Please’ to everyone in every situation. However, one major shift occurred: the arrival of machines, specifically computers, into our homes. Initially, these devices were quite expensive, and even ‘Personal Computers’ weren’t accessible to every household. But then came the revolution of Smartphones. These devices transformed the landscape; they were not just phones for communication but also smart computational tools.

These ‘Smart’ devices allowed us to run various programs and access services—most notably, ‘Smart’ services over the now-ubiquitous internet. A recent Supreme Court ruling even stated that digital access is a vital component of the right to life under Article 21. As the smartphone and internet revolution unfolded, we found ourselves increasingly exposed to ‘smarter’ services that seemed to surpass our individual human capabilities. Services like Google Search became almost ‘Superhuman’ in their abilities, so much so that ‘Googling’ became a verb, symbolising superior search capabilities over vast amounts of data. Life without Google was hard to imagine.

While Google emerged in the late '90s, the contemporary world has been swept off its feet by Generative AI and Machine Learning software like ChatGPT, which has spread like wildfire. Its capabilities have inspired many and, conversely, instilled fear in others. The media amplifies these narratives of superhuman machines. If Google Search was ‘x,’ then ChatGPT was ‘100x,’ leading to a proportional increase in both respect and fear for anything AI-related.

This respect and fear have tangible consequences. When we purchase an AI dishwasher, we don’t simply ‘command’ it; we ‘request’ it with a ‘Please.’ “Can you please do the dishes and then dry them?” This ‘Please’ encapsulates the power these machines hold—or that we have granted them in our lives, whether directly or indirectly. In power-centric societies, this behavior is culturally ingrained; we tend to ‘please’ those in authority to avoid negative repercussions. Today, AI-based machines have truly ascended to these ‘power echelons.’

Conversely, humans who lack the same cognitive or social intelligence or who are economically disadvantaged often receive less respect. The ‘Power’ dynamics within our social structures act as shackles, influencing how we treat our human aides. While not everyone behaves this way, a significant number do, and it’s evident in our communication with them. We often skip the ‘Please’ when we request, demand, or order our house help to do the dishes and dry them.

On the flip side, India’s ‘demographic dividend’ has ensured that we have an abundance of human hands at our disposal. As long as we’re willing to pay, there’s no shortage of help. If one person isn’t available, a dozen more are ready to step in. Yet, it’s important to note that for some, India still operates in a somewhat abstract, hierarchical, and power-centric manner. From a young age, individuals are indoctrinated into their place within the socio-economic structure. Those blades of grass that dare to stand out or grow beyond the collective are often cut down by the lawnmower of conformity. If you don’t fit into the established system, it will swiftly bring you back in line.

In a city like Mumbai, the employers of house help represent just a fraction of the population. Generally, those living in apartments are the ones who hire help, while it’s quite rare for residents of slums or low-income housing to do the same. This dynamic gives rise to a clear socio-economic divide. With a significant portion of Mumbai’s population living in economic vulnerability, there’s a vast supply of available hands. However, the demand is limited; the number of people who can afford to live in apartments and employ house help is considerably smaller. Apartments in Mumbai often come with price tags around 2 crores—sums that many in low-income housing could never hope to earn in their lifetimes or even in their children’s lifetimes. This imbalance of power allows employers the option to forgo saying ‘Please.’

While it’s important not to generalise, many employers do say ‘Please’ to their house help, influenced by their cultural upbringing and sensitivities. Yet, there exists a subset of employers who view these sensitivities differently. One can easily observe that housekeeping staff often feel ‘invisible’ to white-collar employees. The contrast is stark when you see an employer in a low-cost eatery interacting with the serving staff versus when they dine at a high-end restaurant. It’s the power dynamics and social conditioning of the patron that dictate the presence or absence of ‘Please.’

But it’s not all doom and gloom. There are plenty of individuals—both older generations with their traditional values and younger ones with a heightened sensitivity—who will say, “Didi, can you please do the dishes?” After all, India is a tapestry of diverse experiences. For every situation, there’s a counter-example. As many aware Indians would say in response to any observation or question, “It depends!”

And while we ponder these complexities, our ubiquitous truck drivers cheerfully proclaim, “Horn Ok Please.” But that’s a story for another day. Sayonara! 

 The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.

Sci/Tech