AI’s Role in Deliberative Discussion

ABSTRACT The ability to discuss politics intelligently with others is a central activity in many undergraduate political science courses, often forming a key part of student assessments and contributing significantly to the development of civic competence. This study explores the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to facilitate deliberative discussions among students. Based on our research, we present evidence that student interactions with an AI for political discourse can yield benefits that are similar to human-to-human political deliberation—including an increased openness to sharing views, discovery of common ground, and incremental improvement in respect for differing political views. These findings suggest that AI may offer a promising, scalable, and accessible solution to enhance deliberative learning experiences while potentially overcoming barriers observed in traditional classroom settings.