Short answer

Design AI collaborators to foster a sense of social presence, as this is key to building trust, commitment, and ultimately, human motivation to contribute effectively in hybrid teams.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Journal of Management Studies (2025)
Method: Empirical studies
Evidence: Strong effect

Increasing the perceived social presence of AI collaborators can foster greater team-oriented commitment and willingness to depend on AI, thereby boosting human motivation to contribute. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Journal of Management Studies. Using Empirical studies, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design AI collaborators to foster a sense of social presence, as this is key to building trust, commitment, and ultimately, human motivation to contribute effectively in hybrid teams.

Study

Innovation & DesignNew This WeekStrong effect

Social Presence in Human-AI Teams Enhances Collaboration and Motivation

Increasing the perceived social presence of AI collaborators can foster greater team-oriented commitment and willingness to depend on AI, thereby boosting human motivation to contribute.

Journal of Management Studies · 2025

Key Findings

01Social presence has a direct association with motivation to contribute.
02Social presence indirectly influences motivation through team-oriented commitment and willingness to depend on teammates.
03Greater AI familiarity and understandability strengthen the relationship between social presence and behavioral intentions.

Application

Design takeaway

Design AI collaborators to foster a sense of social presence, as this is key to building trust, commitment, and ultimately, human motivation to contribute effectively in hybrid teams.

How to apply

When designing collaborative AI tools, prioritize interaction design elements that promote a sense of social connection and mutual understanding, rather than solely focusing on task efficiency or human-like appearance.

Project actions

01Consider how your design can communicate a sense of 'presence' for the AI.
02Think about how users will build trust and commitment with the AI system.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the relationship between social presence in human-AI teams and human team members' willingness to depend on teammates, team-oriented commitment, and motivation to contribute.

MethodEmpirical studies

ProcedureThree empirical studies were conducted with human-AI teams to examine the impact of social presence on team dynamics, drawing on social presence theory and the theory of planned behavior.

ContextDigital workplaces and collaborative environments involving human-AI teams.

Variables

IV["Perceived social presence of AI","AI familiarity and understandability"]

DV["Willingness to depend on teammates (AI)","Team-oriented commitment","Motivation to contribute"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Empirical basis with multiple studies.
+Theoretical grounding in social presence theory and theory of planned behavior.

Limitations

The effectiveness of social presence cues might vary greatly depending on the user's prior experience with AI and their cultural background.

Reliability & validity

The use of multiple studies and established theories likely enhances the reliability and validity of the findings. However, the specific measures used for social presence and the other variables would need to be examined for their psychometric properties.

Think critically

To what extent can the concept of 'social presence' be applied to non-interactive AI systems, and what are the ethical considerations of designing AI to evoke social connection?

Design Principles

"Design for perceived social presence to enhance human-AI collaboration and engagement."

As AI becomes more integrated into collaborative workflows, understanding how to design these interactions for optimal human engagement is crucial. This research suggests that focusing solely on anthropomorphic features might be less effective than cultivating a sense of social presence, which influences deeper psychological factors like trust and commitment.

What This Means for Your Design

Making AI feel more like a teammate, rather than just a tool, can make people more motivated to work with it and trust it.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the psychological impact of AI on user behaviour and collaboration in your design project.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research by Siemon et al. (2025) highlights that the perceived social presence of AI collaborators is a critical factor in human-AI teamwork, directly influencing motivation to contribute and indirectly fostering team-oriented commitment and willingness to depend on AI. This suggests that design efforts should focus on cultivating a sense of partnership and mutual reliance, rather than solely on anthropomorphic qualities, to optimize collaborative outcomes.

Source

Journal of Management Studies

Beyond Anthropomorphism: Social Presence in Human– <scp>AI</scp> Collaboration Processes

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about social presence in human-ai teams enhances collaboration and motivation?: Design AI collaborators to foster a sense of social presence, as this is key to building trust, commitment, and ultimately, human motivation to contribute effectively in hybrid teams. Evidence: Journal of Management Studies (2025).
Why does "Social Presence in Human-AI Teams Enhances Collaboration and Motivation" matter for design?: As AI becomes more integrated into collaborative workflows, understanding how to design these interactions for optimal human engagement is crucial. This research suggests that focusing solely on anthropomorphic features might be less effective than cultivating a sense of social presence, which influences deeper psychological factors like trust and commitment.
How can designers apply this research?: Design AI collaborators to foster a sense of social presence, as this is key to building trust, commitment, and ultimately, human motivation to contribute effectively in hybrid teams.
What were the main findings?: Social presence has a direct association with motivation to contribute.. Social presence indirectly influences motivation through team-oriented commitment and willingness to depend on teammates.. Greater AI familiarity and understandability strengthen the relationship between social presence and behavioral intentions.
What research method was used?: Empirical studies.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Journal of Management Studies.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing collaborative AI tools, prioritize interaction design elements that promote a sense of social connection and mutual understanding, rather than solely focusing on task efficiency or human-like appearance.
What are the limitations?: The study's findings might be influenced by the specific AI tasks and the novelty of human-AI collaboration in the tested contexts. The extent to which these findings generalize to different types of AI or more established human-AI teams requires further investigation.