This IIM Indore study honestly touches one very real issue around AI that many people feel but don't always say openly . We use chatbots and virtual assistants so much now,but when it comes to sharing personal details,trust becomes main thing.
Study was conducted by Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore and findings were published in International Journal of Information Management ,co-authored by Prof Saurabh Kumar . It looked at how people decide whether to disclose personal information to AI systems like ChatGPT.
And this is not small thing ah,because today AI is sitting inside customer service,healthcare,e-commerce and many daily services . People may enjoy fast replies,but giving personal data is different matter altogether.
Researchers surveyed 230 participants from US and UK . They used frameworks like Communication Privacy Management Theory and Privacy Calculus Theory to understand what actually pushes users to share or hold back information.
Main point coming out is simple: privacy settings matter,but trust matters more . If AI feels useful,human-like and transparent,users seem more comfortable sharing details with it.
Few things standing out clearly in this study:
- Users are more likely to share information when they trust AI system.
- Human-like interactions improve engagement and perceived usefulness .
- Privacy-by-design features strengthen trust and privacy perceptions .
And tbh,this makes sense . Nobody wants to feel like they are talking to cold data-collecting machine . If system communicates in more natural way and gives user feeling of control,people may relax little more.
But at same time,this also feels slightly uncomfortable . Because if human-like communication increases trust,companies also have bigger responsibility to not misuse that trust . Personalization is good,but privacy cannot become side issue only .
Researchers suggest organizations should design AI systems with transparency and responsible practices,not just fancy features . That balance between personalization and privacy is going to decide how far people really allow AI into their lives.
And maybe that is real question now . Are people trusting AI because system is actually safe,or because it has become better at sounding safe…
