It is a common misconception that the development of large language models (LLMs) is solely the domain of artificial intelligence (AI) engineers. At a tech company in Beijing’s Zhongguancun district, however, a team of young psychological trainers is proving otherwise. These professionals, all graduates in psychology, are playing a pivotal role in shaping the way AI interacts with humans.
At Hanwang Technology Co., Ltd., Wang Jingwen, an AI psychological trainer with a PhD from the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, demonstrates how developmental psychology principles are being applied to AI. “In the early stages, when asked what I should pay attention to when swimming, the AI would immediately provide a comprehensive answer,” Wang explained. “It’s a good answer, but not from the perspective of a child.”
Wang and her team aim to make AI responses more relatable to different age groups. “It behaves just like an expert, but we hope to present it in a way that is as friendly and lively as a child,” she said. By instructing the AI that its answers need to be understood by primary and secondary school students, the trainers help it adopt a communication style appropriate for younger users. “This embodies the logic of developmental psychology, helping AI better understand what we want it to become.”
Comparing LLMs to children, Wang emphasized the importance of encouragement in the training process. “The AI trainers repeat training instructions many times to gradually enhance its ability to communicate with people. Just like children, if there are more positive incentives, the large language models will perform better,” she noted.
The collaboration between psychological trainers and algorithm engineers is crucial. The trainers’ instructions are translated into code, allowing the AI to quickly improve its ability to understand and generate human-like communication. This interdisciplinary approach is helping to create AI that is not only intelligent but also empathetic and accessible to users of all ages.
The innovative work being done by these young psychologists at Hanwang Technology highlights a growing trend in AI development. By integrating psychological principles into AI training, they are contributing to the creation of more responsive and human-centric AI technologies.
Reference(s):
How young Chinese psychological trainers boost AI's development
cgtn.com
