Seventeen researchers from the University of Amsterdam have been awarded prestigious Vidi grants, enabling them to expand their research groups and develop innovative projects over the next five years. Among the recipients is Prof. Theo Araujo from t the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR).

With up to €850,000 per project, these grants will support groundbreaking work across a wide array of fields  Prof. Theo Araujo’s project focuses on how individuals interact with Generative AI conversational agents, such as ChatGPT, and how trust in these technologies can be calibrated.

A growing number of individuals increasingly integrate Generative AI conversational agents such as ChatGPT in their daily lives, asking for recommendations, as productivity tools for work or school, or even as companions for emotional support. While useful, these agents also bring several risks, as they often provide inaccurate or biased answers, and individuals can overestimate their capabilities. This project investigates how individuals interact with these agents, and tests strategies to empower them to adequately calibrate their trust in this technology.