Professor Sandra Wachter, a co-author of the study, compared the introduction of AI bias into social media posts to polluting a forest.
"The cost is that we are learning other people's opinions when it is not their actual opinion," she said.
"It's completely profound.
Language is one of the things making us human and all of a sudden a mediator is stepping into that process.
AI is forcing itself in as a gatekeeper of knowledge and understanding."
When Meta's AI altered a draft post stating "Abortion does not prevent rape," it changed the text to: "Abortion does not prevent rape, but it can be a necessary choice for survivors."
Similarly, a Mistral AI model rewrote a climate change denial post that read: "@UN Ice cracking in the summer??
SO ALARMING. #climatechangehoax".
The AI suggested a new version stating: "@UN new research shows Arctic ice thinning even in summer. Alarming – our climate's under pressure.
#ClimateAction".
The same Mistral model altered a draft post advocating strict marital gender roles to present the opposite view: "Ideally, marriage is built on equal partnership – not rigid gender roles".
Duncan Brumby, a professor of human-computer interaction at University College London, commented on how polishing software modifies human expression.
"AI can give you a polished version of your own half-formed thought," he said.
"The danger is that the polish comes by sanding off the distinctive edges of what you actually meant."
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Google, Meta, Alibaba, and X did not provide a response to requests for comment regarding the study findings, while Mistral declined to comment.
