Corrupted by Algorithms? How AI-generated and Human-written Advice Shape (Dis)honesty

2023/01/05 by Margarita Leib, Leib, Margarita, Nils Köbis +7 · 2 citations
Social Sciences · Decision Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies #Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics #Law, Economics, and Judicial Systems

paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2301.01954

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly becomes an indispensable advisor. New ethical concerns arise if AI persuades people to behave dishonestly. In an experiment, we study how AI advice (generated by a Natural-Language-Processing algorithm) affects (dis)honesty, compare it to equivalent human advice, and test whether transparency about advice source matters. We find that dishonesty-promoting advice increases dishonesty, whereas honesty-promoting advice does not increase honesty. This is the case for both AI- and human advice. Algorithmic transparency, a commonly proposed policy to mitigate AI risks, does not affect behaviour. The findings mark the first steps towards managing AI advice responsibly.

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• The continued influence of AI-generated deepfake videos despite transparency warnings
• Human vs. Algorithmic Auditors: The Impact of Entity Type and Ambiguity on Human Dishonesty

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