How will Generative AI impact communication?

Joshua Gans

Economics Letters, 2024, vol. 242, issue C

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of Generative AI (GAI) on communication through the lens of salience and signalling models. It explores how GAI affects both senders’ ability to create salient messages and receivers’ costs of absorbing them. The analysis reveals that while GAI can increase communication by reducing costs, it may also disrupt traditional signalling mechanisms. In a salience model, GAI generally improves outcomes but can potentially reduce receiver welfare. In a pure signalling model, GAI may hinder effective communication by making it harder to distinguish high-quality messages. This suggests that GAI’s introduction necessitates new instruments and mechanisms to facilitate effective communication and quality assessment in this evolving landscape.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Large language models; Communication; Signalling; Salience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:242:y:2024:i:c:s0165176524003562

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2024.111872

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