New Research on Using AI for Science Communication

It feels like everywhere you turn someone is discussing either the promise or peril of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Although AI can be a tremendous asset, if used correctly, there is still much to be learned about not just how to use AI, but how others perceive the use of AI. In this post I'm excited to share some new research focused on the general public's perception of content developed by AI, specifically related to agricultural topics.

In the study we looked at perceived transparency the general public associated with social media posts related to scientific topics. One post was created by a scientist, the other by AI. When the source of the post was revealed, individuals consistently rated the AI generated post as less transparent and the scientist generated post as more transparent.

From a science communication perspective, this might mean that source disclosure is more important then ever. Additionally, the use of AI to generate communications is cautioned until public trust in AI content improves. Please be sure to include your insights in the comments below. I've also attached the full article if you would like to learn more.

Testing Consumers Perceptions of AI-Generated Communication.pdf

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Lamm, A. J., Lamm, K. W., Byrd, A. R., Yazdanpanah, M., Gabler, N., Johnson, A., Sanders, C. E., Masambuka-Kanchewa, F., & Retallick, M. S. (2025). When machines speak science: Testing consumers’ perceptions of AI-generated communication messages. Journal of Applied Communications, 109(3). https://doi.org/10.4148/1051-0834.2594.