I don't think the technical problem vs the self-identification are conflated. It's still easier to talk to something that acts like a human (at the conversatio

I don't think the technical problem vs the self-identification are conflated. It's still easier to talk to something that acts like a human (at the conversational level, at least). I'd prefer those subtle hints ("umm") over explicit "That's not what I asked for" when communicating. I'd prefer to expect them to understand the same. When I know I'm talking to a software agent, I can change the way /I talk/ without having to lose fidelity from the way it talks. For example, I can spit out a large, complex sentence that's usually harder over the phone: Groups of four don't need or get reservations. "Reservation availability is Tuesday 2 to 5 pm, wednesday 2 to 3pm, friday 4pm to 6pm. " Then a "Thank you, goodbye" message tells me that I'm done with them, and as I know it's an AI, I don't have to worry about having offended a customer.