Conversation Habits
Even if you know that an LLM is not a person, conversing with a chatbot is still verbal communication. Partially because I know that an LLM is not a person, I don't communicate the same way I do with a person. But sometimes I wonder whether the habits I might establish in communication with LLMs will inadvertently spill over into my habits of communications with actual people.
Here's one example of how conversational habits differ, at least for me. Much of my conversation with LLMs concerns how to solve a particular problem. These conversations often look roughly similar to a conversation I might have had if I'd texted a knowledgable friend. Either way, typically I'll gather some suggestions and then go and try to fix the problem. The difference comes at the point when the problem is solved: if I had been texting a friend, I'll usually send at least one more text to say, "I fixed it! You were right, it was such-and-such. Thanks for your help!" I don't go back to the LLM to say that.
My point isn't that this example is significant per se, but that we ought to be vigilant against letting habits we gain in talking with LLMs cause a regression in our interactions with real people. Even small changes here can make a difference. I usually will send that last text to the friend who helps me, but sometimes I forget. Will habits gained with chatbots make me more likely to forget?