Repetition, Resistance, and Reinforcement: Longitudinal Effects of Conversational AI on Political Attitudes

Large language models are now embedded in everyday life for millions of people. This project investigates how repeated interactions with conversational AI shape political persuasion, trust, and openness to attitude change. Although existing research shows that a single conversation with an AI chatbot can influence beliefs, far less is known about how persuasion unfolds when people engage with the same AI system repeatedly over time. Using a multi-wave survey experiment with a nationally representative sample of voters, this project directly compares repeated interactions with a chatbot to one-shot conversations. It examines whether familiarity and relational continuity increase receptiveness to persuasion, and whether personalization based on prior interactions strengthens persuasive impact. By disentangling relationship-building from tailored messaging, the project will identify the mechanisms through which AI influences political attitudes, including potential spillover effects.