🦾 Chatbot convinced conspiracy theorists to reconsider their beliefs

• People's belief in conspiracy theories decreased by about 20 percent after talking to an AI.
• The chatbot used a fact-based method to question conspiracy theories.
• The change in belief persisted for at least two months, suggesting a lasting effect.

Successful strategy for challenging conspiracy theories

In a recent study, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used a large language model named GPT-4 Turbo to investigate whether artificial intelligence can help reduce belief in conspiracy theories. The study involved 2190 people who identified themselves as followers of various conspiracy theories, writes New Scientist.

Participants were first asked to summarize a conspiracy theory they believed in and then assess their belief in the theory's likelihood. After this, a structured dialogue with the chatbot began, where both parties contributed three contributions each to the conversation. Finally, participants were asked to reassess their belief in the conspiracy theory.

The results showed that participants' belief in the specific conspiracy theory they discussed decreased by about 20 percent. Researchers also observed a general decrease in belief in other conspiracy theories among the participants. This effect seemed to last at least two months, suggesting that participants' opinions changed permanently after talking to the chatbot.

What is behind the success?

Thomas Costello from MIT explains that previous attempts to disprove conspiracy theories often failed due to their general nature and superficial handling of facts. Instead, the chatbot used a direct and fact-based strategy, and in 83 percent of the conversations, evidence-based arguments were used to present alternative perspectives.

This method appears to have been particularly successful as the AI was able to avoid triggering emotional reactions that might otherwise hinder persuasion. Costello points out that AI's patience and non-judgmental attitude may have contributed significantly to the method's effectiveness.
The results of this study can provide guidance on how both AI and people can interact more effectively with those who believe in conspiracy theories, by using a fact-oriented and respectful dialogue style.

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