Just 15 minutes of chatting with an AI can actually make you less prejudiced against people in the real world.
March 20, 2026
Original Paper
Text-Messaging with a Conversational AI as an Out-group Target: New Applications of Intergroup Contact
SSRN · 6442004
The Takeaway
It is a common belief that reducing social bias requires deep 'human' connection or face-to-face interaction. This research shows that a brief, structured conversation with an AI pretending to be an 'out-group' member effectively reduced explicit negative attitudes in Japanese adults toward Chinese people.
From the abstract
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) for electronic contact (e-contact) offers new possibilities for intergroup contact. This study examined whether exchanging instant messages with an AI-generated out-group member reduces prejudice, using explicit and implicit pre- and post-contact evaluations with a pure control condition. The contact was designed in accordance with Allport’s optimal contact conditions and strategies derived from categorization theories. Sixty-one Japanese adults pa