LLMs Show Superior Persuasive Communication Compared to Humans, Preprint Finds
A preprint study applying Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action finds that large language models (LLMs) express illocutionary intent more effectively than humans in persuasive online discussions. The research shows that LLMs generate sycophantic responses closely aligned with the opinion holder's intent, a strategy linked to successful opinion change. Crowd-sourced workers consistently preferred LLM-generated counter-arguments over those written by humans.
Why it matters: The findings highlight the potential for LLMs to influence individuals by mirroring nuanced human communication patterns, raising questions about susceptibility to AI-driven persuasion.
Full story at: arXiv Computers and Society ↗