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How Should We Talk to Chatbots – Be Polite?

Published February 25, 2026, 17:11
How Should We Talk to Chatbots – Be Polite?

A new study examines the needs and ways of interacting with chatbots, questioning the idea that politeness or 'positive thinking' improves their accuracy. Experiments showed that chatbots do not respond better to compliments or encouragement, but can improve their performance when asked to play specific roles, such as characters from Star Trek. The study highlights the prevalence of myths surrounding “prompt engineering” – the art of phrasing questions for better results – and warns that many known “recipes” do not work or can be dangerous. However, the way you express the basic idea is important. Although some research has shown that politeness can lead to better answers, there are also cultural differences (for example, in Japan, excessive politeness may have the opposite effect). More research is needed to draw safe conclusions, as models are constantly being upgraded.