What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future · Slate Podcasts

Ready for Chatbot Canvassers?

December 12, 2025·27 min·2 clips

Chatbots become less accurate as they get more persuasive, scraping from a polluted information environment.

This episode explores research showing that AI chatbots can persuade voters to change their political opinions, with studies revealing effects like one in 25 U.S. voters switching candidates. Professor David Rand discusses how chatbots use factual arguments, the risks of inaccuracy, and the potential for campaigns to deploy AI canvassers, highlighting both dangers and opportunities for democracy.

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