Technologies of Influence: Harnessing the Power of A.I. for Persuasion

The ability to skillfully influence and persuade others is the key to success in business, civic engagement, and politics. The primary goal of the course is to help prepare students to organize and present information in compelling and concise ways. While the art and science of persuasion has a long history, recent breakthroughs in the field of Generative A.I. are poised to completely upend traditional approaches to the creation and targeting of persuasive messages. The effective use of A.I. as a technology of influence, however, requires an understanding of both the social psychological foundations of persuasion, and a basic knowledge of how A.I. systems work. Toward that end, students who successfully complete this course will gain a solid grounding in how Generative A.I. can be deployed to effectively influence people’s attitudes, opinions, and behaviors in ways designed to optimize specified outcomes. Students will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge through “hands-on” participation in a Team Project, where working in small groups students will build their own persuasive messaging campaigns, utilizing “off the shelf” Generative A.I. tools—e.g., ChatGPT, Dall-E, Bard. Together, through the combination of readings, classroom instruction, group work, and in-class learning activities, the overall objective of the course is to improve student’s ability to apply the principles of A.I.-based persuasion to achieve desired business outcomes, galvanize change, and forge greater civic and political engagement.

Laptops, while not required, are highly recommended for In-Person participants.