AI chatbots and political learning

We preregistered and experimentally tested six hypotheses assessing AI chatbot effects on political learning. We randomly assigned subjects to the AI chatbot ChatGPT, Google Search, or a control group with no stimulus or outside assistance in two nationally representative survey experiments on U.S. crime rates and vaccine safety. Subjects using AI chatbots learn more than those with no Internet resources and are confident in what they learn. However, none of these attributes from AI usage were substantively different from those using Google searches in both samples and topics. Directly engaging with ChatGPT increases subjects’ comprehension of their researched content compared to Google. These findings suggest that AI chatbots help promote political learning but are not necessarily more impactful than traditional Internet searches. The impact of AI evolution on shaping political discourse and public knowledge warrants further exploration.