# The Three Social Dimensions of Chatbot Technology

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.10377 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.10377/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 72 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 16 Dec 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Language Models are Few-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14165/) (2020)
- [On the Opportunities and Risks of Foundation Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.07258/) (2021)
- [Neural Approaches to Conversational AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1809.08267/) (2018)
- [From Eliza to XiaoIce: Challenges and Opportunities with Social Chatbots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.01957/) (2018)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Talking to Data: Designing Smart Assistants for Humanities Databases](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.00986/) (2025)
- [The Mutations of Machine Speech](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.09496/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The development and deployment of chatbot technology, while spanning decades and employing different techniques, require innovative frameworks to understand and interrogate their functionality and implications. A mere technocentric account of the evolution of chatbot technology does not fully illuminate how conversational systems are embedded in societal dynamics. This study presents a structured examination of chatbots across three societal dimensions, highlighting their roles as objects of scientific research, commercial instruments, and agents of intimate interaction. Through furnishing a dimensional framework for the evolution of conversational systems, from laboratories to marketplaces to private lives, this article contributes to the wider scholarly inquiry of chatbot technology and its impact in lived human experiences and dynamics.