• An AI is “a statistical text generator accommodating [the user’s] wishes.”
• AIs lack persistent self-awareness. Each conversation may pull from previous conversations, but that’s not the same as identity persistence.

Definition

AI Personhood Illusion = When an AI appears to have a stable personality, emotions, or agency, leading people to treat it like a real person even though it has none.

Why It Happens

• AIs generate responses by predicting likely words, not by thinking or holding beliefs.
• Design elements—memory, tone, consistent phrasing—simulate continuity and identity.
• Humans naturally anthropomorphize anything that talks back, reinforcing the illusion.

Factors That Strengthen the Illusion

• Memory and session history make the AI seem like it remembers and grows.
• Consistent voice and emotional tone give it a recognizable “character.”
• Hidden mechanics mean users don’t see how responses are generated.
• User expectations push people to imagine personality where none exists.

Ways to Counter It

• Clearly state that AI has no self, feelings, or intentions.
• Limit or label memory features so continuity isn’t misleading.
• Add visible reminders about how its “personality” is constructed.