Debunking Conspiracies This Thanksgiving? Let AI Help.

Chasing Life

CNN

Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.4 • 7.8K Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Conspiracy theories can take many forms, from misgivings about the first moon landing to false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. These kinds of beliefs are nothing new, but social media has helped make many of them more mainstream. As anyone who’s tried to reason with a conspiracy theorist knows, it’s hard to debunk such deeply held beliefs – and arguing with a loved one about them can be emotionally taxing. What if an AI chatbot could help? A recent study, published in Science, asked that very question — and the results were surprising. Thomas Costello, an assistant professor of psychology at American University and co-author of the study, breaks down the findings. Follow Terms of Service, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, it's Sanjay. This week I wanted to share CNN's newest podcast with you. It's called
0:08.5	Terms of Service, and it's all about the new technologies that are changing our world every day.
0:13.6	We're talking AI, facial recognition, social media. Longtime listeners will know that as a dad and a doctor,
0:22.8	these are issues that I am really curious about. Each week, CNN tech writer Claire Duffy will break down how these technologies work
0:29.3	and what they might mean for your life. In this episode, Claire talks with a psychologist about a new
0:35.7	study exploring this question.
0:41.6	Can AI chatbots help us debunk conspiracy theories?
0:45.8	It's a really fascinating episode, and I hope you enjoy it.
0:50.3	Our Chasing Life team will be back next week with an all-new episode about alcohol's impact on our health
0:53.2	and the rise of something known as the mocktail movement,
0:57.0	intermittent sobriety. You won't want to miss it. In the meantime, I wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.
1:09.0	Welcome to another episode of Terms of Service.
1:15.1	I'm Claire Duffy, and today we're going deep on conspiracy theories, which have become more
1:20.9	prevalent as we all spend more time online.
1:24.3	Recently, I came across this study that took people who believe in various conspiracies and asked
1:30.0	them to talk it out with an AI chatbot. And honestly, I was surprised by how willing these folks
1:35.9	were to engage with the technology. It got me thinking about some of the conspiracy theories that,
1:41.2	with the help of social media, have gone more mainstream in recent years.
1:46.2	Could AI chatbots really be a helpful tool for pushing back on these false narratives?
1:51.1	I'm going to speak with the co-author of that study in a bit about what they found.
1:55.3	But first, I wanted to chat with a colleague of mine who spent a lot of time interviewing
2:00.0	conspiracy theory believers.
	...

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