Study shows ChatGPT advice can influence personal decisions
A 2024 study published in Scientific Reports and conducted by Shinnosuke Ikeda of Kanazawa University analyzed two online experiments with 1,925 Japanese participants. In moral dilemmas and economic choices, advice attributed to ChatGPT influenced decisions similarly to recommendations attributed to human experts in certain situations; people who were more insecure or had greater difficulty making decisions were more susceptible to AI’s advice.
In an interview with g1, Cleber Zanchettin, a professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), said that delegating personal decisions to AI gives it more data for potentially more convincing personalization, which can increase dependence and shape preferences. He also warned of possible bias in shopping recommendations, which are based on online content, and recommended using chatbots to organize information, compare alternatives, and weigh pros and cons while keeping the final decision with the user.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The findings suggest that the context and vulnerability of someone seeking guidance may affect how much weight they give a chatbot’s advice. Cleber Zanchettin’s recommendation points to a more cautious use: rely on AI to structure comparisons while keeping the final decision with the individual.
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