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From Human Speakers to Algorithmic Interfaces: Rethinking Ethos in AI-Mediated Communication

Oct 2026 · ACM International Conference on Design of Communication (SIGDOC) · 14 references
Rhetoric and Communication Studies

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) systems increasingly function as communicative agents, raising questions about how credibility is constructed in them. Drawing on Aristotle's concept of ethos, this study examines how credibility is performed through interface‑level cues in large language model (LLM) chatbots: ChatGPT and Copilot. Using a rhetorical interface analysis, the study identifies recurring design patterns such as disclaimer banners and interaction affordances that signal practical competence, ethical restraint, and goodwill. The findings contribute a rhetorical framework for analyzing AI‑mediated credibility as interface‑enacted ethos and highlight the growing importance of communication design in automated persuasive systems.

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