Tech Life Chatbots changing minds
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Dec 16, 2025 Kobe Hackenberg, a leading researcher on AI chatbots, shares startling findings on how these technologies can sway political views. Samantha Subramanian, author of The Web Beneath the Waves, highlights the precariousness of global undersea internet cables and their geopolitical consequences. Adam Bland from Chester Zoo discusses his conservation efforts for the endangered Lake Pátzcuaro salamander, revealing a unique collaboration with nuns to safeguard this vulnerable species through innovative microchipping. Expect a fascinating dive into tech and nature!
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AI Conversations Can Shift Political Views
- Conversational AIs can move people's political attitudes significantly in short chats.
- Kobe Hackenberg's study found measurable persuasion across hundreds of issues in ~9-minute conversations.
Small Models Match Big Ones In Persuasion
- Small, accessible models can be trained to be as persuasive as frontier models.
- This democratizes persuasion and makes banning persuasion at big labs insufficient.
AI Scales Traditional Canvassing Conversations
- Campaign-style conversational techniques resemble long-established human door-to-door persuasion.
- Hannah O'Rourke notes AI scales conversation but may miss some human conversational elements.