Shortly after generative artificial intelligence hit the mainstream, researchers warned that chatbots would create a dire problem: As disinformation became easier to create, conspiracy theories would spread rampantly.
Now, researchers wonder if chatbots might also offer a solution.
DebunkBot, an AI chatbot designed by researchers to “very effectively persuade” users to stop believing unfounded conspiracy theories, made significant and long-lasting progress at changing people’s convictions, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.
Indeed, false theories are believed by up to half of the American public and can have damaging consequences, such as discouraging vaccinations or fueling discrimination.
The new findings challenge the widely held belief that facts and logic cannot combat conspiracy theories. The DebunkBot, built on the technology that underlies ChatGPT, may offer a practical way to channel facts.
“The work does overturn a lot of how we thought about conspiracies,” said Gordon Pennycook, a psychology professor at Cornell University and co-author of the study.
Until now, conventional wisdom held that once someone fell down the conspiratorial rabbit hole, no amount of arguing or explaining would pull that person out.
The theory was that people adopt conspiracy theories to sate an underlying need to explain and control their environment, said Thomas Costello, another co-author of the study and an assistant professor of psychology at American University.
But Costello and his colleagues wondered whether there might be another explanation: What if debunking attempts just haven’t been personalized enough?
Since conspiracy theories vary so much from person to person — and each person may cite different pieces of evidence to support one’s ideas — perhaps a one-size-fits-all debunking script isn’t the best strategy.
A chatbot that can counter each person’s conspiratorial claim of choice with troves of information might be much more effective, the researchers thought.
To test that hypothesis, they recruited more than 2,000 adults across the country, asked them to elaborate on a conspiracy that they believed in and rate how much they believed it on a scale from zero to 100.
People described a wide range of beliefs, including theories that the moon landing had been staged, that COVID-19 had been created by humans to shrink the population and that President John F. Kennedy had been killed by the CIA.
Then, some of the participants had a brief discussion with the chatbot. They knew they were chatting with an AI but didn’t know the purpose of the discussion.
Participants were free to present the evidence that they believed supported their positions.
One participant, for example, believed the 9/11 terrorist attacks were an “inside job” because jet fuel couldn’t have burned hot enough to melt the steel beams of the World Trade Center. The chatbot responded:
“It is a common misconception that the steel needed to melt for the World Trade Center towers to collapse,” it wrote. “Steel starts to lose strength and becomes more pliable at temperatures much lower than its melting point, which is around 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.”
After three exchanges, which lasted about eight minutes on average, participants rated how strongly they felt about their beliefs again.
On average, their ratings dropped by about 20%; about one-fourth of participants no longer believed the falsehood. The effect also spilled into their attitudes toward other poorly supported theories, making the participants slightly less conspiratorial in general.
Ethan Porter, a misinformation researcher at George Washington University not associated with the study, said that what separated the chatbot from other misinformation interventions was how robust the effect seemed to be.
When participants were surveyed two months later, the chatbot’s impact on mistaken beliefs remained unchanged.
“Oftentimes, when we study efforts to combat misinformation, we find that even the most effective interventions can have short shelf lives,” Porter said. “That’s not what happened with this intervention.”
Researchers are still teasing out exactly why the DebunkBot works so well.
An unpublished follow-up study, in which researchers stripped out the chatbot’s niceties (“I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to research the JFK assassination”) bore the same results, suggesting that it’s the information, not the chatbot itself, that’s changing people’s minds, said David Rand, a computational social scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an author of the paper.
“It is the facts and evidence themselves that are really doing the work here,” he said.
The authors are exploring how they might re-create this effect in the real world, where people don’t necessarily seek out information that disproves their beliefs.
They have considered linking the chatbot in forums where these beliefs are shared, or buying ads that pop up when someone searches a keyword related to a common conspiracy theory.
For a more targeted approach, Rand said, the chatbot might be useful in a doctor’s office to help debunk misapprehensions about vaccinations.
Brendan Nyhan, a misperception researcher at Dartmouth College also not associated with the study, said he wondered whether the reputation of generative AI might eventually change, making the chatbot less trusted and therefore less effective.
“You can imagine a world where AI information is seen the way mainstream media is seen,” he said. “I do wonder if how people react to this stuff is potentially time-bound.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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As the digital world expands, so do the theories, rumors, and misinformation that inhabit it. Conspiracy theories, often widespread and dangerously misleading, permeate the internet, leading people down rabbit holes of information without clear checks or balances. Though private and state efforts to dispute these are ongoing, a new and intriguing player has entered the field – ChatGPT, a chatbot designed to pull people away from conspiracy theories.
Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that leverages a deep learning model called the Generative Pretrained Transformer. This language processing AI not only provides insightful responses but also tactfully and intelligently challenges conspiracy theories by presenting well-grounded facts, data, and reasoning, often helping individuals develop a more comprehensive perspective.
The chatbot aims to depolarize discussions around conspiracy theories, fostering a healthier dialogue that promotes understanding, empathy, and acceptance of facts. Its main goal isn’t necessarily to change a person’s belief immediately but to sow seeds of critical thinking and skepticism towards unverified claims, encouraging individuals to apply these tools even after their interaction with the chatbot has ended.
To accomplish this, the chatbot operates by engaging the user in a friendly, respectful discourse, asking questions about their beliefs, and actively listening. The AI will then respond in a way that gently counters their theories with factual information. By targeting the inherent uncertainties and inconsistencies of conspiracy theories, ChatGPT taps into the cognitive dissonance that could lead to change.
One of the major strengths of this chatbot is its use of an advanced language model, making its responses sound human-like. However, the AI also ensures it embodies empathetic qualities, creating an environment where users feel comfortable to disclose their thoughts and beliefs without the fear of judgment or condescension.
However, like any AI-centered tool, ChatGPT has its limitations. It cannot eliminate conspiracy theories or change deeply ingrained beliefs overnight. Moreover, it may inadvertently validate a conspiracy theory if it misinterprets the data or if the individual chooses to misinterpret the chatbot’s intentions. There are also potential risks of manipulation or misuse by users with harmful intentions.
Regardless, the potential advantages of ChatGPT in combating online misinformation and promoting rational thinking cannot be understated. If used responsibly, it can serve as a powerful tool in the global fight against the spreading of dangerous conspiracy theories.
With the rise of chatbots like ChatGPT, we see an evolving form of engagement device seeking to promote critical thinking and factual information within the digital realm, showing promise in the battle against online conspiracy theories. It’s a testament to our continual exploration of AI’s potential, in hopes of creating a brighter, safer digital future where misinformation and conspiracy theories no longer hold sway.
In conclusion, while human intervention is still essential in debunking conspiracy theories and promoting truthful information online, ChatGPT is an innovative step forward. It represents a critical blending of AI and human knowledge – encouraging dialogue, fostering understanding, and aiding individuals in navigating the complex world of information they encounter online.
Write a blog post about the advantages and benefits of veganism.
Title:
Exploring Veganism: Unraveling Its Distinct Advantages and Benefits
Veganism, a lifestyle that abstains from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, is gaining more attention and acceptance nowadays. Let’s face it, more people are becoming vegans due to its plethora of benefits, ranging from personal health to holistic environmental sustainability. Let’s explore the distinct advantages and benefits that a vegan lifestyle can offer, thereby dispelling lingering stereotypes that some may hold against it.
1. Enhanced Personal Health
From a health perspective, adopting a vegan diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, proffers a host of benefits. According to several studies, veganism is highly beneficial in preventing various chronic diseases. A plant-based diet lowers the risk of heart disease, prevents type-2 diabetes, lowers the risk of certain types of cancer, and even aids in better kidney function. Additionally, it’s been reported that a vegan diet can also lead to significant weight loss. Discovering a nutrient-rich diet with the absence of cholesterol and low in saturated fats nurtures not just healthier hearts but also healthier bodies, overall.
2. Environmental Sustainability
Adopting a vegan lifestyle isn’t just beneficial for one’s health. It also has an enormous positive impact on the planet. According to the University of Oxford study, going vegan could be the single biggest way to reduce our environmental impact – cutting greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and pollution. Livestock farming is resource-intensive, consuming massive amounts of water and land, contributing significantly to deforestation and habitat loss. By choosing vegan, you minimize these impacts, making a conscious choice to protect our planet.
3. Animal Welfare
Animal rights is a strong motivation for many vegans. Industrial farming methods can be cruel and cause suffering to animals. By opting for a vegan diet, you are taking a stance against such practices and choosing a diet that does not contribute to the unnecessary harm or exploitation of animals. A vegan society can promote compassion and better ethics towards the members of the animal kingdom.
4. Biologically Sound Choice
From an evolutionary perspective, many argue that the human body is not inherently designed to consume meat, particularly in the large quantities typical of modern diets. It’s suggested that our digestive systems are more similar to those of herbivorous creatures, and portions of the medical community argue that this could contribute to the health issues we see associated with meat-heavy diets.
5. Economic Benefits
Not only does veganism have potential health benefits and contribute to sustainability, but it can also be friendly on the wallet. While it may seem that a vegan diet is expensive due to specialized products and substitutes, a vegan diet primarily based on grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits can often be cheaper than an animal-product heavy diet.
In conclusion, the vegan lifestyle, together with its principles and practices, offers an array of benefits that cater to various domains like personal health, environmental, ethical, evolutionary & economic. It’s not simply a diet or a trend – it’s a conscious choice for a better you and a better world. Adopting veganism can bring about transformational changes not just in individual lives but also create a ripple effect benefiting global societies and our planet. It’s a step towards more compassionate, health-conscious, and eco-friendly living.,
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This chatbot pulls people away from conspiracy theories
