People often use search engines in such a way that they unintentively strengthen their existing beliefs.
Therefore, even impartial search engines can attract users in impermeable “digital cells of the echo-camera” because people formulate their search requests. This is evidenced by the results of research by scientists from the American School of Freeman Business, reports Eurekalert.
When people are looking for information on the Internet – whether Google, ChatGPT or in new search engines with artificial intelligence – they often choose search terms that reflect what they already believe in (sometimes do not even realize this), the researchers say.
During 21 experiments with the participation of almost 10 thousand participants, the researchers checked how people seek information on the main platforms.
It turned out that users of caffeine, nuclear energy, crime or Covid-19 were interested in users, their search queries were usually formulated in such a way as to satisfy their previous thoughts.
For example, people who consider caffeine are good for health, can strive for “profit of caffeine”, while skeptics can introduce “risks of caffeine for health.” These barely noticeable differences led to the fact that they led to the fact that they significantly distinguish the results of the search, which ultimately strengthened their initial beliefs, the article says.
The effect was maintained even when the participants were not going to confirm prejudice. In several studies, less than 10% of the participants admitted that they intentionally develop their searches to confirm what they already thought, but their search behavior was still closely agreed with their beliefs.
It is not only about how people seek and how the search engines react. Most of them are designed to devote the priority of relevance, showing results closely related to the specific words that the user introduces. But this relevance can be achieved using the perspective.
Since modern search algorithms are designed to give “the most relevant” answers to any term that you introduced, these answers can confirm what you thought at first. This complicates the opportunity for people to discover wider prospects for themselves, – scientists say.
This dynamics was preserved even for artificial intelligence -based tools, such as ChatGPT.
Although the answers to AI were often briefly mentioned by opposite views, users still came to stronger beliefs that corresponded to the orientation of their initial request, the article says.
Researchers tried several ways to encourage users to expand their views. Simple user motivation to consider alternative points of view or execute more search queries. However, one approach worked constantly – a change in the algorithm:
- When the search tools were programmed to obtain a wider range of results – regardless of how narrow the request was – people are more likely to look at their beliefs;
- In one of the experiments, participants who saw a balanced selection of articles on the effects of caffeine on health became more moderate and were more open to change their behavior;
- Users evaluated wider results, as useful and relevant as highly specialized.
According to scientists, the data obtained indicate that the search platforms may be crucial in the fight against the polarization of the company – if they are designed properly.
Researchers even found that most people are interested in using the “Look wide” function (according to the idea opposite to the current Google button “I was lucky”), which will deliberately provide various views on a certain topic, the article says.
Since artificial intelligence and large-scale search are integrated into our daily lives, the integration of a wider search approach can reduce Echo cameras for millions (if not billions) of users, they say the psycho.
Source: Eurekalert
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I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.