From the article:
This chatbot experiment reveals that, contrary to popular belief, many conspiracy thinkers aren’t ‘too far gone’ to reconsider their convictions and change their minds.
From the article:
This chatbot experiment reveals that, contrary to popular belief, many conspiracy thinkers aren’t ‘too far gone’ to reconsider their convictions and change their minds.
Another way of looking at it: “AI successfully used to manipulate people’s opinions on certain topics.” If it can persuade them to stop believing conspiracy theories, AI can also be used to make people believe conspiracy theories.
Anything can be used to make people believe them. That’s not new or a challenge.
I’m genuinely surprised that removing such beliefs is feasible at all though.
If they’re gullible enough to be suckered into it, they can similarly be suckered out of it - but clearly the effect would not be permanent.
I’ve always believed the adage that you can’t logic someone out of a position they didn’t logic themselves into. It protects my peace.
logic isn’t the only way to persuade, in fact all evidence seems to show it works on very few people.
Everyone discounts sincere emotional arguments but frankly that’s all I’ve ever seen work on conspiracyheads.
the person needs to have a connection to the conspiracy theorist that is stronger than the identity valence gained by adopting these conspiracies
The person needs to speak emotionally and sincerely, using direct experience (cookie cutter rarely works here)
The person needs to genuinely desire for the improvement of the other’s life
That is the only way I have ever witnessed it personally work, and it still took weeks.