The internet has made it easier than ever before to encounter and spread conspiracy theories. And while some are harmless, others can be deeply damaging, sowing discord and even leading to unnecessary deaths.
Now, researchers believe they’ve uncovered a new tool for combating false conspiracy theories: AI chatbots. Researchers from MIT Sloan and Cornell University found that chatting about a conspiracy theory with a large language model (LLM) reduced people’s belief in it by about 20%—even among participants who claimed that their beliefs were important to their identity. The research is published today in the journal Science.
science: Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI
We hypothesized that interventions based on factual, corrective information may seem ineffective simply because they lack sufficient depth and personalization. To test this hypothesis, we leveraged advancements in large language models (LLMs), a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that has access to vast amounts of information and the ability to generate bespoke arguments. LLMs can thereby directly refute particular evidence each individual cites as supporting their conspiratorial beliefs.
To do so, we developed a pipeline for conducting behavioral science research using real-time, personalized interactions between research subjects and AI. Across two experiments, 2190 Americans articulated—in their own words—a conspiracy theory in which they believe, along with the evidence they think supports this theory. They then engaged in a three-round conversation with the LLM GPT-4 Turbo, which we prompted to respond to this specific evidence while trying to reduce participants’ belief in the conspiracy theory (or, as a control condition, to converse with the AI about an unrelated topic).
Another source: popsci: How an AI ‘debunkbot’ can change a conspiracy theorist’s mind
And Mr. Bot itself: DebunkBot: Conspiratorial Conversations
The future is AI, it seems.
technology review: Chatbots can persuade people to stop believing in conspiracy theories
byu/sg_plumber inFuturology
2 Comments
Compounds the problem not removes it. What is true? Today’s truth could be proved false tomorrow. These chatbots can just as easily convince people that things that are not true are. This is a disturbing article, I can think of like 50 examples over the last year alone where people thought they were promoting the truth and it turned out not to be the case.
This is the way people emulate 1984.
This is great!
Now we can finally put an end to anyone questioning the government/popular narrative on things and finally all get in line behind one truth that one political party gets to decide – yay!
1. TVs Spying on You (Snowden’s Revelations): Edward Snowden’s 2013 leaks revealed that various intelligence agencies, including the NSA, were capable of using smart TVs, smartphones, and other internet-connected devices to spy on citizens. This confirmed suspicions that devices with microphones and cameras could be used to monitor people without their knowledge.
2. The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: For decades, rumors circulated that the U.S. government was conducting unethical medical experiments on African American men. In 1972, it was revealed that between 1932 and 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service conducted a study in Tuskegee, Alabama, where they deliberately withheld syphilis treatment from African American men to observe the natural progression of the disease, without their informed consent. This sparked outrage and led to major reforms in medical ethics.
3. MKUltra: Once dismissed as paranoia, it was later proven that the CIA ran a secret mind-control program known as MKUltra. Beginning in the 1950s, this project involved unethical human experimentation, including administering drugs like LSD to unsuspecting participants. Documents released in the 1970s confirmed the existence of this program, which was intended to explore methods of mind control and psychological manipulation.
These are just a few examples where so-called “conspiracies” ended up being true once enough evidence came to light.
But with our new technology we can make sure no one ever questions the narratives again!!!