Key Points
Is it OK to address a chatbot or virtual assistant in a manner that is harsh or abusiveeven though it doesnt actually have feelings?.
Could bad behavior toward chatbots encourage us to behave worse toward real people?.
Train the chatbot in the ways of mental-health counseling so it can deal with the abuse in a constructive way and help the person learn that abusive behavior is neither productive nor appropriate..
Chatbots are so badly designed and so frequently employed to let companies off the hook for communication with people that they increase frustration and so probably merit more than their share of the behavior that they create..
A harsh or abusive response to a chatbot or virtual assistant isnt going to affect the chatbot, until or unless the bot is programmed to read and react to emotional responses from humans..
