What’s in a Name? Implications of AI Roles and Mind Perception for Human-AI Teams

Alexandra M. Harris-Watson, Changyoon Byun, Lindsay E. Larson, Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University

Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

Published online on June 12, 2026

Abstract

Human Factors, Ahead of Print.
ObjectiveWe examine how artificial intelligence (AI) roles (teammate, support, tool) shape acceptance via the mind perception subdimensions of agency and conscious experience.BackgroundAdoption of the term AI “teammate” has outpaced evidence of the term’s ...