Misinformation and Inoculation: Algorithmic Inoculation Against Misinformation Resistance

AI-enabled services, such as chatbots and generative systems, are often unable to generate correct information per user request, thus creating user resistance and preventing the smooth diffusion of AI services. Previous research has mostly addressed how to improve AI responses but fails to consider user resistance against misinformation from AI. Based on inoculation theory and a heuristic systematic model, this chapter discusses the cognitive mechanisms of inoculation effects on using AI chatbots by addressing questions on how users construe inoculation messages and how the messages influence users’ resistance against misinformation. How inoculation confers resistance to users provides important implications for theory and practice. The chapter found that inoculation messages alleviate the negative effects of misinformation from AI chatbots on user interaction. It renders a critical perspective of how the theory can be conceptually extended to misinformation and how the theoretical frame can be used practically.