For three days, everything revolved around rhetoric and AI research at the AlphaPersuade summit in Irvine, California. From February 27 — 29, intensive and enthusiastic discussions took place, exchanges were made and new findings were developed.
During the first two days, an interdisciplinary group of rhetoricians, educators, linguists and neuroscientists debated and pondered how rhetoric can be integrated into the development and implementation of (generative) AI. The overarching topic was a possible framework for ethical persuasion that can be tooled across AI technologies. The RHET AI Center was represented at the event by Dr. Markus Gottschling and Prof. Dr. Olaf Kramer.
In his opening keynote "Persuasive Machines" at the symposium on February 29, the latter was able to illustrate how rhetorical technical terms can also be used effectively in communication with an interdisciplinary audience. He showed how scientific expertise from rhetoric in relation to persuasion in AI technology can also be applied and communicated in industry and AI development. Olaf Kramer's keynote speech focused on the major challenges posed by generative AI from a rhetorical perspective. For example, questions of authorship and responsibility or social implications such as the avoidance of fake news, information overload, but also the question of transparency and trust in generative AI.

The two other keynotes also offered profitable and exciting insights and impulses: Tiera Tanksley (UCLA) explored the question of how research regarding bias and hallucinations can offer solutions to some of the most persistent problems in the use of AI. Casey Mock (Center for Humane Technology) looked at the flip side of persuasion: deception. He asked how this can be countered at the development stage and how AI technology can be designed to minimize its ability to deceive. The AlphaPersuade summit provided an excellent platform for intensive exchange and discussion and left participants and organizers alike optimistic and motivated at the end of the three days. The exchange will definitely be continued — we will keep you informed.