How We Learned to Talk to Machines

The evolution of human-machine interaction has transitioned from the terse, symbolic communication of early computing systems to the more collaborative and conversational interfaces seen today. This shift began with Unix's intentional use of collaborative language in system tools, framing software as a cooperative participant, which cultivated trust and user engagement. The 1990s introduced "wizard" interfaces that guided users with conversational language, culminating in the failed experiment of Microsoft's Clippy, which was seen as too intrusive. Over decades, these developments conditioned users to interact naturally with machines, laying the groundwork for acceptance of modern AI systems like ChatGPT, despite their lack of true collaboration. The ongoing debate in interface design challenges the anthropomorphism trend, as some advocate for clarity over personality, highlighting the risks of over-trust and emotional attachment. This history reveals that the narrative of AI as a sudden revolution is misleading; instead, it reflects a continuum of design choices that prepared users for increasingly sophisticated machine interactions.