Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Use and Its Psychological Correlates via Months of Web-Browsing Data.

IF 3.9 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL

Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking Pub Date : 2025-09-22 DOI:10.1177/21522715251379987

Emily McKinley,David M Markowitz,Rui Zhu,Brandon Van Der Heide

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Despite widespread discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society, little work has objectively measured how often people use this technology in the wild. The present article collected up to 90 days of web-browsing data from students (Study 1: N = 499) and those in the general public (Study 2: N = 455), quantifying how often people used AI and evaluating the psychological correlates of such use. Upon coding 4.1 million websites in Study 1 and 9.9 million websites in Study 2, the evidence suggested that AI use was relatively infrequent, totaling 1% of student web-browsing and 0.44% of general public web-browsing, on average. The most consistent predictors of AI use across studies were aversive personality traits (e.g., Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy), albeit the traits were differentially associated with AI use across studies. Demographics were largely unrelated to AI use across studies. Finally, we observed that self-reported AI use and actual AI use were only moderately correlated (ρ = 0.329), suggesting limitations in subjective measures of media use. These findings provide some of the first behavioral measurements of AI in naturalistic settings and establish important benchmarks for understanding the individual differences associated with AI adoption.

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通过几个月的网络浏览数据评估人工智能的使用及其心理相关性。

尽管关于人工智能（AI）及其对社会的影响的讨论广泛，但很少有研究客观地衡量人们在野外使用这项技术的频率。本文收集了学生（研究1:N = 499）和公众（研究2:N = 455）长达90天的网络浏览数据，量化了人们使用人工智能的频率，并评估了这种使用的心理相关因素。在对研究1中的410万个网站和研究2中的990万个网站进行编码后，有证据表明，人工智能的使用相对较少，平均占学生网页浏览的1%，占一般公众网页浏览的0.44%。在所有研究中，最一致的人工智能使用预测因素是令人厌恶的人格特征（例如，马基雅维利主义、自恋、精神病），尽管这些特征与人工智能的使用存在差异。在所有研究中，人口统计数据基本上与人工智能的使用无关。最后，我们观察到自我报告的人工智能使用和实际人工智能使用仅适度相关（ρ = 0.329），这表明媒体使用的主观测量存在局限性。这些发现提供了人工智能在自然环境下的一些初步行为测量，并为理解与人工智能采用相关的个体差异建立了重要基准。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL-

CiteScore

9.60

自引率

3.00%

发文量

123

期刊介绍： Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is a leading peer-reviewed journal that is recognized for its authoritative research on the social, behavioral, and psychological impacts of contemporary social networking practices. The journal covers a wide range of platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, internet gaming, and e-commerce, and examines how these digital environments shape human interaction and societal norms. For over two decades, this journal has been a pioneering voice in the exploration of social networking and virtual reality, establishing itself as an indispensable resource for professionals and academics in the field. It is particularly celebrated for its swift dissemination of findings through rapid communication articles, alongside comprehensive, in-depth studies that delve into the multifaceted effects of interactive technologies on both individual behavior and broader societal trends. The journal's scope encompasses the full spectrum of impacts—highlighting not only the potential benefits but also the challenges that arise as a result of these technologies. By providing a platform for rigorous research and critical discussions, it fosters a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between technology and human behavior.