  For many people, anxiety, depression, and other social and mental factors can
make composing text messages an active challenge. To remedy this problem, large
language models (LLMs) may yet prove to be the perfect tool to assist users
that would otherwise find texting difficult or stressful. However, despite
rapid uptake in LLM usage, considerations for their assistive usage in text
message composition have not been explored. A primary concern regarding LLM
usage is that poor public sentiment regarding AI introduces the possibility
that its usage may harm perceptions of AI-assisted text messages, making usage
counter-productive. To (in)validate this possibility, we explore how the belief
that a text message did or did not receive AI assistance in composition alters
its perceived tone, clarity, and ability to convey intent. In this study, we
survey the perceptions of 26 participants on 18 randomly labeled pre-composed
text messages. In analyzing the participants' ratings of message tone, clarity,
and ability to convey intent, we find that there is no statistically
significant evidence that the belief that AI is utilized alters recipient
perceptions. This provides hopeful evidence that LLM-based text message
composition assistance can be implemented without the risk of
counter-productive outcomes.
