Inconsistent advice by ChatGPT influences decision making in ...
The ChatGPT technology is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives and is starting to be utilized in various decision-making contexts. The current study builds upon prior research, demonstrating that people’s moral decision-making is influenced by ChatGPT across three perspectives, as evidenced by two studies (total n = 1925). The findings suggested that ChatGPT advice impacted decision-making similarly to expert advice, although not all decisions were susceptible to influence, particularly those based on negative emotions. Additionally, ChatGPT advice affected decisions beyond moral judgments, but no effect was observed when the advice recommended immediate low rewards. Moreover, individuals with a higher tendency for personal fear of invalidity were more likely to be influenced by both expert and AI advice, but this was not related to trust in AI.
Impact of Advice on Decision Making
Every day, we engage in a variety of decision-making processes that span different aspects of our lives, from choosing what to eat at restaurants to selecting schools for education to planning home renovations. While some decisions are made independently, others are influenced by advice from others. Research has shown that when making decisions based on others' advice, higher quality advice is given more weight, and conversely, individuals tend to discount the importance of the advice when they are confident in their own decision-making abilities. Neuroscience studies also indicate that the advisor's expertise and the discrepancy between one's own opinion and the content of the advice are integrated when making decisions based on advice.
Role of ChatGPT in Decision Making
Advice in decision-making can be provided by human experts or by ChatGPT, which has rapidly emerged in recent years. ChatGPT is a chatbot powered by advanced machine learning software developed by OpenAI, trained with various texts and images sourced from the Internet, and responds with appropriate words and phrases in response to user queries. ChatGPT has integrated into our lives so swiftly that its advice is often sought in many aspects of our daily activities. Although ChatGPT advice can be potentially erroneous, it is sometimes rated superior to human expert advice.
Research Findings
As ChatGPT increasingly becomes a part of our lives, understanding the extent to which our decision-making can be influenced by ChatGPT's advice is crucial. Krügel et al. highlighted that people's moral judgments are influenced by the advice of ChatGPT, particularly in the context of the Trolley Problem, which questions the morality of sacrificing one person to save five others. The present study expands on these findings in three significant ways, shedding light on the impact of inconsistent moral advice provided by ChatGPT on users' judgment.
