Research conducted by scientists from the United States and Poland has revealed that artificial intelligence is more effective at shaping voter opinions than traditional television advertisements. In a study involving 2,300 participants ahead of the 2024 American presidential election, voters assessed the leading candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, on a scale of 0 to 100. Following this, participants interacted with chatbots designed to advocate for one of the candidates, either persuading those with opposing views or bolstering the opinions of supporters. The results showed that after engaging with the AI, the ratings for the candidates increased by 2 to 4 points, whereas conventional campaign ads had a marginal impact of just under 1 point. Notably, the AI was more successful in shifting the opinions of those opposed to a candidate than in reinforcing the beliefs of their supporters. Similar studies conducted prior to elections in Poland and Canada indicated even larger shifts, with voter preferences changing by an average of approximately 10 points following chatbot interactions. The researchers noted that the influence of AI was less pronounced in the United States due to the deep-seated polarization between Trump and Harris supporters. In contrast, the impact of chatbots was more significant in less contentious environments or during local elections. Interestingly, the study also found that AI models were more persuasive when they presented factual information rather than emotional appeals. Chatbots that articulated candidates' political platforms with clear reasoning garnered significantly more trust compared to those that emphasized the candidates' personalities.
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