Team Member or Tool? The Role of Framing in Human-Autonomy Teaming

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being utilized in e.g., space context, leading to more frequent interactions between humans and autonomous agents. Whether AI is framed as team member or tool could have profound implications for trust or communication. The extent to which the framing of an AI has a positive influence on trust, affect, and communication is investigated in a spaceflight context. Data was collected experimentally in a Mars habitat. Together with an agent participants (N = 80) repaired a life-support-system. Results showed no differences in trust and affect between the conditions. Interacting with the agent led to greater trust and more positive affect over time. No significant differences in the communication were found, except for the frequency of saying “thank you”. This study aims to answer the question of whether an agent should be integrated as a member of a team or whether this does not provide any benefits for teams.