The Str(AI)ght Scoop: Artificial Intelligence Cues Reduce Perceptions of Hostile Media Bias
Joshua Cloudy, Jaime Banks, Nicholas David Bowman
Abstract
In the face of increasing public distrust for journalistic institutions, stories sourced from artificially intelligent (AI) journalists have the potential to lower hostile media bias by activating the machine heuristic—a mental shortcut assuming machines are more unbiased, systematic, and accurate than are humans. An online experiment targeting issue partisans found support for the prediction: a story presented as sourced from an AI journalist activated the machine heuristic that, in turn, mitigated hostile media bias. This mediation effect was moderated: perceived bias was more strongly reduced as partisan-attitude extremity increased.
Topics & Concepts
DistrustMedia biasPerceptionMediationMultilinear mapHeuristicSCOOPPsychologySocial psychologyComputer scienceModerated mediationArtificial intelligencePolitical sciencePoliticsLawPsychotherapistQuantum mechanicsPhysicsNeuroscienceOperating systemHate Speech and Cyberbullying DetectionMisinformation and Its ImpactsPsychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment