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The fearful mind of artificial intelligence: fear and perceived existential threat of artificial intelligence as a function of its cognitive and emotional capabilities.

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Title: The fearful mind of artificial intelligence: fear and perceived existential threat of artificial intelligence as a function of its cognitive and emotional capabilities.
Authors: Kitchens, Michael B. (AUTHOR), Meier, Brian P. (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Social Psychology. 2026, Vol. 166 Issue 4, p423-436. 14p.
Subjects: Artificial intelligence, Emotional intelligence, Emotion recognition, Comparative studies, Cognitive ability, Anxiety
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine people's fear and perception of threat toward artificial intelligence (AI) as a function of various psychological features attributed to it. To investigate this, participants (Exp. 1, N = 206) read descriptions of AI with high or low cognitive and emotional capabilities. They were most (least) averse to AI described as having the strongest (weakest) of these capabilities (Exp. 1). Similarly, in Experiment 2, a representative U.S. sample (N = 686) was more afraid of and threatened by AI described as having equally strong cognitive and emotional capabilities than AI described as with weaker capabilities (weak cognition, strong emotion), but that pattern was reversed when the faculties were attributed to pharmacologically altered humans. These findings provide evidence for competing predictions about the configuration of these faculties to evoke negateve responses. Furthermore, they provide a novel test of these competing predictions applied to AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Social Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: The fearful mind of artificial intelligence: fear and perceived existential threat of artificial intelligence as a function of its cognitive and emotional capabilities.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kitchens%2C+Michael+B%2E%22">Kitchens, Michael B.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meier%2C+Brian+P%2E%22">Meier, Brian P.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: The purpose of this research was to examine people's fear and perception of threat toward artificial intelligence (AI) as a function of various psychological features attributed to it. To investigate this, participants (Exp. 1, N = 206) read descriptions of AI with high or low cognitive and emotional capabilities. They were most (least) averse to AI described as having the strongest (weakest) of these capabilities (Exp. 1). Similarly, in Experiment 2, a representative U.S. sample (N = 686) was more afraid of and threatened by AI described as having equally strong cognitive and emotional capabilities than AI described as with weaker capabilities (weak cognition, strong emotion), but that pattern was reversed when the faculties were attributed to pharmacologically altered humans. These findings provide evidence for competing predictions about the configuration of these faculties to evoke negateve responses. Furthermore, they provide a novel test of these competing predictions applied to AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Social Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/00224545.2025.2503006
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 423
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      – SubjectFull: Artificial intelligence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotional intelligence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotion recognition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative studies
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      – SubjectFull: Cognitive ability
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      – SubjectFull: Anxiety
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      – TitleFull: The fearful mind of artificial intelligence: fear and perceived existential threat of artificial intelligence as a function of its cognitive and emotional capabilities.
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              Text: 2026
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