Importance of Perceived Humanness for Strategic Communication in the Age of AI and Implications for Conversational Agents, Both AI and Human

Tom Kelleher

This article positions perceived humanness as a central construct for understanding strategic communication in an era where distinctions between human and AI agents are increasingly blurred. Integrating research on social presence, anthropomorphism, and conversational human voice, it conceptualizes perceived humanness as both an outcome of strategic design choices and a mechanism shaping attitudes, relationships, and behaviors. Drawing on prior literature and empirical work, the piece shows that perceived humanness applies to both human and artificial agents and is associated with outcomes such as trust and perceived relational investment. Implications are discussed for scholars refining measurement and theory, and for practitioners designing communication systems aligned with user needs, while addressing ethical concerns including transparency and privacy.