How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy

An AI-driven political campaign could be all things to all people. Eric Smalley, TCUS; Biodiversity Heritage Library/Flickr; Taymaz Valley/Flickr, CC BY-ND Archon Fung, Harvard Kennedy School and Lawrence Lessig, Harvard University Could organizations use artificial intelligence language models such as ChatGPT to induce voters to behave in specific ways? Sen. […] Read more »

Your political rivals aren’t as bad as you think – here’s how misunderstandings amplify hostility

Misunderstanding can play a role in people’s dislike of others who have different beliefs. wildpixel/Getty Images Daniel F. Stone, Bowdoin College U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene drew raised eyebrows when she suggested on Presidents Day that the United States pursue a “national divorce.” Even in an era of seemingly ever-growing […] Read more »

How long are Americans sad and angry about mass shootings? Four days.

Americans woke up on Wednesday morning feeling some combination of deep sadness and intense anger. The feeling was shared throughout the country. Americans are grieving. … As overwhelming as the feeling is now, the available evidence suggests that it will fade into the background within about four days. This means […] Read more »

Hot tempers can help cool the planet

… Worldwide, anger has been brewing towards politicians, banking executives, and corporate leaders, with over 10 million people protesting to express their dissatisfaction with current efforts to address climate change. Surveys suggest anger among young adults is particularly acute, with a majority (58%) of those polled in 10 nations reporting […] Read more »

Elite party cues increase vaccination intentions among Republicans

Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic requires motivating the vast majority of Americans to get vaccinated. However, vaccination rates have become politically polarized, and a substantial proportion of Republicans have remained vaccine hesitant for months. Here, we explore how endorsements by party elites affect Republicans’ COVID-19 vaccination intentions and attitudes. In a […] Read more »