From Parts to Whole: How Trust in AI and Humans Shape System Trust

Abstract

An increasing number of studies on human-autonomy interaction (HAI) have started to expand their focus to investigating complex multi-agent HAI, involving multiple humans and/or agents within the interaction. The shift introduces new challenges. Organizational theory suggests that trust is multi-referent, meaning it is directed toward various targets. Within a human organization, trust typically has three possible referents: interpersonal, team, and organization. Applying to HAI, trust can be directed at three different referents: humans, autonomy, and the entire system. However, no study has yet examined the relationships between trust in these different referents. This study addresses this gap by exploring relationships between trust in three referents: the AI planner, peers, and the system. The study is conducted in a scenario where multiple people in the system must evacuate, with the ability to support each other by reporting roadblock information while receiving assistance from an AI planner that provides the shortest route.