Generative artificial intelligence tools that are used to create and edit long texts have become widespread in the recent period. Of course, the style of these tools differs greatly from the style of the user, but they help speed up the writing process and thus increase productivity.
But there is a group of researchers who asked a question, can writing tools based on artificial intelligence change the thoughts and opinions of the user?
Users’ thoughts
A new study by researchers at Cornell University has found that AI-powered writing tools that automatically complete sentences or provide intelligent responses can strongly influence users’ thoughts.
In the study, Maurice Jakesch, a PhD student in the field of information science, asked more than 1,500 participants to write a paragraph answering the question: “Is social media good for society?”
To understand how people interact with AI writing tools, Jakesh developed a large language model to have a positive or negative opinion about social media, created a platform that simulated a social media website, and then asked the participants to write a paragraph stating their opinions on social media whether were positive or negative.
The platform collected data from participants as they wrote, such as what suggestions they accept from AI tools, and how long it takes them to write a paragraph. Some of the participants wrote their opinions on their own and some wrote with the help of artificial intelligence.
Intelligence
Automatic effect
Researchers found that people who used an AI writing assistant and the assistant was biased either for or against social media were twice as likely to write a paragraph consistent with the AI, and most of them said they had the same opinion, which was very different from the people who wrote their opinions Without the help of artificial intelligence.
The researchers initially set the possibility that the participants were accepting the AI’s suggestions to complete the task faster, but noted that participants who took several minutes to write their paragraphs had their opinions strongly influenced by the AI.
The study revealed that the majority of participants did not even notice that the AI was biased and did not realize that they were being influenced by its opinions.
to confirm results; The researchers repeated the experiment, but with a different topic, and the research team found similar results.
The researchers said that the study indicates that biases in writing tools that rely on artificial intelligence, whether intended or unintended, can have repercussions on culture and politics, because they manipulate the thoughts and opinions of users, which will have a wide impact on individuals and societies.
Mor Naaman, study co-author and professor at Cornell University, said: “We are rushing to integrate these AI models into all walks of life, but we need to better understand the implications of them. Aside from increasing efficiency and creativity, it could There are further consequences for individuals as well as societies due to shifts in language and opinions.”
Now, the team is asking how generative AI tools can affect larger groups of people with a longer lasting effect, how will this lead to significant changes in users’ opinions and what are the negative implications for society?
change of scenery
Researchers and specialists fear that AI will change the cultural and political landscape, just as social media has changed the political landscape by facilitating the spread of misinformation. Biased AI writing tools can produce similar shifts in opinions, depending on which tools users choose.
For example: Some organizations have announced that they are planning to develop an alternative to ChatGPT bot designed to express more conservative views, so the researchers recommend taking appropriate measures that control the misuse of AI technologies as well as how to monitor and regulate it.
“The more powerful these technologies become and the more deeply we embed them into the social fabric of our societies, the more careful we must be about how we judge the values, priorities and opinions embedded in them,” Jakes said.
