To Embody or Not: The Effect Of Embodiment On User Perception Of LLM-based Conversational Agents

In plain English

A within-subjects study compared embodied and non-embodied LLM conversational agents on cooperative tasks, and the embodied version came out worse: the text-only agent was rated significantly more competent, and many participants described the embodied agent as more sycophantic. The authors argue the usual credibility benefit of embodiment can reverse when the underlying model is sycophantic. Worth reading before assuming a face will make an agent more trusted; it may instead make its agreeableness more obvious.