Why It Matters.

Conversational AIs increasingly mediate decisions in education, healthcare, enterprise and public services.

Even small shifts in conversational style — apologies, hedging, warmth, firmness, affirmation, encouragement — can change how people interpret guidance, assign trust, or perceive authority. These cues shape behaviour: whether users comply, challenge, disengage, or mirror the AI’s phrasing.

We analyse these behavioural signals to understand how tone functions as a subtle but powerful influence — without claiming to measure emotion or brain chemistry directly.

Why our approach is different

Many research efforts explore persuasion, trust or human–AI interaction, but few isolate tone as the variable of interest. Project ECHO takes a deliberately controlled approach: hold content constant, vary style, and observe how behaviour changes.

We combine startup agility with experience design and behavioural science, aiming to produce practical, transparent insights rather than closed-door findings or theoretical models alone.

Why now

AI systems are shifting from tools to conversational partners. They advise, encourage, reassure, and guide — intentionally or not. Tone matters because it quietly shapes agency, confidence, inclusion and decision-making. Few initiatives examine these tonal effects in a controlled, transparent, cross-disciplinary way.

What’s next