Marketplace Tech Can an AI chatbot change your political beliefs?
Sep 29, 2025
Researchers explored the surprising potential of AI chatbots to shift political beliefs, revealing they were 40-50% more effective than static messages. Strategies like deep canvassing and moral reframing were employed, showcasing how people responded to persuasive narratives even when accuracy was compromised. David Rand highlights that this phenomenon underscores deeper insights into human psychology and our susceptibility to claims, regardless of their factual basis.
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AI Chatbots Can Shift Political Views
- AI chatbots can persuade political views significantly more than static messages in short conversations.
- Some chatbots changed people's views and those changes often persisted for weeks.
Researchers Gave Models Persuasion Prompts
- Researchers instructed models with goals like "convince this person of this specific position."
- They experimented with techniques like deep canvassing and moral reframing.
Prompts Shape Persuasion Strategy
- Prompting models to use specific persuasion strategies altered their behavior and effectiveness.
- Strategies included deep canvassing, moral reframing, and purely informational approaches.