Authors: Sasha Tanner & Cinthya Fillips
How can artificial intelligence (AI) aid in uplifting traffic safety? Interestingly, a research group led by Ryoo recently discovered the significance of AI chatbots on cannabis use and driving through a behavioral phenomenon known as hypocrisy induction. Hypocrisy induction is a persuasion strategy where individuals are reminded of a mismatch between their attitudes and their behaviors. This tactic induces cognitive dissonance where people evaluate their decisions and whether it conflicts with their personal morals, which is meant to induce more prosocial behaviors.
Ryoo and colleagues analyzed how gendered voice inflections and language formality among AI chatbots influence people’s opinions and actions regarding cannabis-impaired driving messaging. More specifically, they issued a four-phase survey of interactive videos.
Goal of the Study
1. Test whether AI chatbots can effectively deliver public safety messages: Specifically, whether AI chatbots can influence intentions to drive under the influence of cannabis.
2. Examine the persuasive impact of hypocrisy induction: The researchers wanted to know if adding a dissonance‑based message would outperform a neutral message.
3. Determine how chatbot gender and linguistic style influence persuasion: The researchers aimed to identify the most effective combinations (e.g., female‑casual, male‑formal) for delivering these messages.
4. Apply Language Expectancy Theory (LET): The goal was to understand how message expectations tied to gender and language affect persuasion.
Key Study Characteristics:
- AI chatbots imitated male and female voices.
- Each voice was divided into casual vs. formal language.
- The chatbots were programmed to communicate the effects of marijuana-impaired driving on public safety by using the hypocrisy induction method.
What did the researchers find?
- Casual female voices and formal male voices induced more guilt in participants during the simulation.
- As a result, these feelings of guilt induced participants to support the campaign against marijuana-impaired driving.
Why Does it Matter?
AI chatbot simulations can play a valuable role in prevention efforts by educating the public about various forms of impaired driving and promoting safe driving practices. At the same time, it is essential to recognize that integrating AI into traffic safety initiatives also raises important ethical considerations, including issues related to privacy and responsible data use.
The study’s framework also highlights the potential of intentionally designed AI conversational agents to support traffic safety campaigns as effective preventive tools, demonstrating how strategic choices in message style and agent design can enhance public safety communication.
Check out the full article below.
Source: Ryoo, Yuhosua, Victoria Halfacre, Eunjin Kim, & Hye Jin Yoon. (2025). AI chatbot interventions in combatting marijuana-impaired driving: The role of gender, linguistic style, and hypocrisy induction. International Journal of Advertising, 44(7), 1311–1340. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2025.2452048
