Artificial intelligence writing tools that predict and suggest our next words can do much more than simply speed up our typing. New research provides evidence that interacting with biased autocomplete suggestions can covertly shift a person’s underlying attitudes on important societal issues. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, suggest that the subtle influence of these everyday programs often bypasses our conscious awareness. Artificial intelligence programs powered by large language models are increasingly woven into human communication. These technologies power the autocomplete features found in popular email clients, messaging applications, and word processors. As these tools become a standard part of daily life, scientists have grown concerned about their potential to shape human cognition. Previous studies have shown that artificial intelligence can persuade people during direct interactions. This happens when a program generates a persuasive essay or directly debates a user on a specific topic. However, researchers wanted to explore a more subtle pathway for influence in our digital environments. “There were two things that led my team and I to pursue the research …