This is a bad time to be in the trust game. That’s the business of anyone who toils in communications. But confidence in the messages we convey, and the organizations we work for, is diminishing.
According to the 25th edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer, which came out this January and surveyed respondents worldwide, the fear that leaders purposely mislead us is at an all-time high. That’s true for government leaders, business leaders and journalists.
Edelman framed their findings as a crisis of grievance. Six in 10 of those surveyed have a moderate or high sense of grievance, defined as a belief that our institutions make their lives harder and serve narrow interests.
The level of mistrust in society goes beyond our institutions. A minority of Canadians, just 33%, think most people can be trusted, according an Ipsos survey.
How can we regain trust?
Effective communications can help to build trust, and trust is the currency of effective relationships. So it’s instructive to pay attention to how people communicate with chatbots.
Yes, chatbots. I know, they’re the precocious little siblings of the stars of many a sci-fi movie – the AI that’s out to kill or take over humanity.
Set aside that trope for a moment. Several studies have examined human-chatbot interactions, and the factors that contribute to user confidence and satisfaction. If nothing else, they remind us of four important lessons for professional or personal communications.
1. Show empathy
A study published in Future Business Journalsaid chatbots that exhibit empathetic and friendly communication styles are more likely to gain users’ trust.
The author stated that empathy – the ability to comprehend and react to someone else’s thoughts and feelings – accounts for 61% of a client’s faith in a text chatbot.
Lesson: Recognize what someone wants or needs, make them feel understood and valued, and give them information that acts as useful solutions.
2. Prioritize integrity
A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychologyreported that while it’s helpful for chatbots to come across as kind and competent, integrity trumps that.
As one of the lead authors explained, while a chatbot shouldn’t lie to us it also shouldn’t echo everything we say. Being honest and upright is a predictor of trustworthiness, said the study, which was titled “When the bot walks the talk”.
Lesson: Be reliable and stay true to what you know matters.
3. Don’t judge
The journal Computers in Human Behaviorlooked at an experiment involving virtual health screenings. Some patients were led to believe that the interviews were controlled by a human, others that they were controlled by automation. The patients who thought they were interacting with a computer were more willing to disclose.
Lesson: Ensuring non-judgmental information and interactions might encourage more openness.
4. Provide the facts without the agenda
Getting people to change their minds or behaviours is often difficult. And people who believe in conspiracies are notoriously tough nuts to crack. Yet research in the journal Scienceshowed that a conversation with a chatbot could turn around a chunk of even conspiracy theorists.
After describing a conspiracy they believed in, participants had a conversation about it with a chatbot over three back-and forth rounds. About 20% of this group subsequently had a reduced belief in their conspiracy theory. It helped that the chatbots weren’t perceived as having an agenda, something that can make people suspicious in a low-trust environment.
Lesson: Making a reasoned argument and having an actual dialogue, more than shoveling a pile of facts, can have an impact.
Authentic communications can help regain trust
These four lessons may be fairly basic, yet we don’t always follow them.
Now, maybe chatbots are the last thing we should place our faith in. Not if you feel that a Skynet-type neural network, like in the Terminator movies, might do us in. Which isn’t out of the realm.
But in a world where trust is dwindling, we have to find it where we can. So I asked ChatGPT (for real) “Can I trust you?” This was some of its reply, which I’ve abridged.
- “Trust is an important component of any interaction, even with a chatbot.”
- “Here’s why you can reasonably trust me. I aim to provide accurate, well-sourced information. If I don’t know something or need to look something up, I’ll tell you.”
- “I don’t have emotions, personal agendas or the capacity to manipulate. My understanding is based on how you frame your query.”
- “If something is unclear, I may misinterpret it. While I aim to remain neutral, some unintended biases may emerge.”
- “Trust, in any context, is a balance of confidence and verification.”
That’s not bad advice from a piece of AI.
We’re living in an era of grievance, and for good reason. There’s rampant scepticism about the intentions of governments, companies, media and each other.
Positive action will mean more than talk. Still, it always pays to champion straightforward, principled, unbiased and authentic communications. That’s a way to at least start earning back some of our lost trust.
Stuart Foxman is a Toronto-based freelance writer, who helps clients’ products, services, ideas and organizations to come alive. Connect with me here on LinkedIn, or check me out at foxmancommunications.com where I share these blogs too. More original posts coming regularly about communications, information, motivation, writing, branding, creativity, media, marketing, persuasion, messages, learning, etc.
January 29, 2025