The Role of Misinformation and AI in the US Election with Gordon Pennycook

In this episode of the Behavioral Design Podcast, hosts Aline and Samuel explore the complex world of misinformation in the context of the U.S. elections with special guest Gordon Pennycook, a psychology professor at Cornell University.

The episode covers the effects of misinformation on democratic participation, and how behavioral science sheds light on reasoning errors that drive belief in falsehoods. Gordon shares insights from his groundbreaking research on misinformation, exploring how falsehoods gain traction and the role AI can play in both spreading and mitigating misinformation.

The conversation also tackles the evolution of misinformation, including the impact of social media and disinformation campaigns that blur the line between truth and fiction.

Tune in to hear why certain falsehoods spread faster than truths, the psychological appeal of conspiracy theories, and how humor can amplify the reach of misinformation in surprising ways.

LINKS:

Gordon Pennycook:

• Google Scholar Profile
• Twitter
• Personal Website
• Cornell University Faculty Page

Further Reading on Misinformation:

• Brandolini’s Law and the Spread of Falsehoods
• Role of AI in Misinformation
• The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction

03:14 Behavioral Science and Misinformation

05:28 Introducing Gordon Pennycook

10:02 The Evolution of Misinformation

12:46 AI’s Role in Misinformation

14:51 Impact of Misinformation on Elections

21:43 COVID-19 and Vaccine Misinformation

26:32 Technological Advancements in Misinformation

33:50 Conspiracy Theories

35:39 Misinformation and Social Media

42:35 The Role of Humor in Misinformation

48:08 Quickfire Round: To AI or Not to AI

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The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

In this spine-chilling Halloween special of the Behavioral Design Podcast, co-hosts Aline Holzwarth and Samuel Salzer take listeners on a journey into the eerie intersection of AI and behavioral science. They explore the potential ethical and social consequences of AI, from our urge to anthropomorphize machines to the creeping influence of human biases in AI engineering.

The episode kicks off with the hosts sharing their favorite Halloween costumes and family traditions before delving into the broader theme of Frankenstein as an apt metaphor for AI. They discuss the human inclination to attribute human qualities to non-human entities and the ethical implications of creating machines that mirror humanity. The conversation deepens with reflections on biases in AI development, risks of ‘playing God,’ and the tension between technological progress and human oversight.

In a thrilling twist, the hosts read a co-authored sci-fi story written with ChatGPT, illustrating the potential dark consequences of unchecked AI advancement. The episode wraps up with Halloween-themed wishes, encouraging listeners to ponder the boundaries between human and machine as they celebrate the holiday.

Timestamps:

03:38 – Frankenstein: Revisiting the original story

09:09 – Frankenstein’s Modern AI Metaphor: Parallels to today’s technology

18:06 – Reflections on AI and Anthropomorphism: The urge to humanize machines

36:31 – Exploring Human Biases in AI Development: How biases shape AI

42:06 – Trust in AI: Human vs. algorithmic decision-making

46:45 – The Personalization of AI Systems: Pros and cons of tailored experiences

49:10 – The Ethics of Playing God with AI: Examining the risks

55:56 – Concluding Thoughts and Halloween Wishes: Reflecting on AI’s duality

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Interesting in collaborating with Nuance? If you’d like to become one of our special projects, email us at hello@nuancebehavior.com or book a call directly on our website: ⁠nuancebehavior.com.⁠

Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.

Every Monday our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business.

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The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

Welcome to the latest Product Deep Dive! ⁠💊

In this bonus series of the Behavioral Design Podcast, we take a closer look at the seemingly simple, yet tremendously important, pill bottle.

Previous guest, Aarthi Rao, took her stab at designing the best pill bottle, so we decided to deep dive into all things behavioral design in the pill bottle world, ourselves! Easy, attractive, social, personalized...tune in to learn more, this one was a lot of fun!

Thank you to all of our listeners for supporting our podcast. Tune in next week for our Season 3 finale!
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Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.

Every Monday our ⁠⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business.

Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@habitweekly.com⁠⁠

The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

Aarthi Rao leads behavioral insights at Cityblock Health, as their Vice President of Behavioral Insights and Strategic Engagement Innovation. Aarthi also founded the Design and Innovation Lab at CVS Health.

Aarthi has successfully merged human-centered practices, such as design thinking, with behavioral science at Cityblock. She is a strong advocate for merging qualitative and quantitative methods to better design patient experiences. Today we spoke to Aarthi about how to reach hard-to-reach communities, designing the perfect pill bottle that fits into a patient’s healthcare ecosystem, and so much more. Enjoy!

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Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.

Every Monday our ⁠Habit Weekly newsletter⁠ shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business.

Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@habitweekly.com⁠

The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠

Steph Habif is known for a range of health behavior research and strategy, and for leading behavioral science at Tandem Diabetes. Today we chat with Steph about what she’s doing at Tandem to design for diabetic patients, working at the intersection of behavioral science and human-computer interaction. We also went over what Steph called behavioral science's branding problem.

Do you know someone who would enjoy Behavioral Design? Please tell them about us! Thanks for listening!

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Support the podcast by joining ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Habit Weekly Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀. Members get access to extensive content databases, calls with field leaders, exclusive offers and discounts, and so much more.

Every Monday our Habit Weekly newsletter shares the best articles, videos, podcasts, and exclusive premium content from the world of behavioral science and business.

Get in touch via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@habitweekly.com

The song used is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Murgatroyd by David Pizarro⁠