ArticulatePro: A Comparative Study on a Proactive and Non-Proactive Assistant in a Climate Data Exploration Task

Abstract

Recent advances in Natural Language Interfaces (NLIs) and Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed our approach to NLP tasks, allowing us to focus more on a Pragmatics-based approach. This shift enables more natural interactions between humans and voice assistants, which have been challenging to achieve. Pragmatics describes how users often talk out of turn, interrupt each other, or provide relevant information without being explicitly asked (maxim of quantity). To explore this, we developed a digital assistant that constantly listens to conversations and proactively generates relevant visualizations during data exploration tasks. In a within-subject study, participants interacted with both proactive and non-proactive versions of a voice assistant while exploring the Hawaii Climate Data Portal (HCDP). Results suggest that the proactive assistant enhanced user engagement and facilitated quicker insights. Our study highlights the potential of Pragmatic, proactive AI in NLIs and identifies key challenges in its implementation, offering insights for future research.