Anthropomorphism in AI is the tendency to attribute human traits — emotions, intentions, consciousness — to AI systems. It can make AI interactions feel more natural and engaging, but it also creates false expectations about what the system actually understands or cares about.
Users who believe an AI "understands" their situation or "wants" to help may over-trust its outputs, tolerate inaccuracies they would challenge in a human, or misread actual limitations as personal failures. The line between what AI appears to do and what it actually does is a practical distinction that affects how people use and evaluate AI systems.
