New contexts, old heuristics: How young people in India and the US trust online content in the age of generative AI

TL;DR

This study explores how young people in India and the US trust online content amid the rise of generative AI, revealing reliance on emotional states and heuristics that can lead to misinformation.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of 'information modes' and shows how users transfer trust heuristics from familiar contexts to new AI-driven environments, affecting their trust decisions.

Findings

Participants shift between emotional-based 'information modes' when trusting content.

Users import old trust heuristics into AI contexts, risking misinformation.

Habitual heuristics prioritize efficiency over accuracy in AI use.

Abstract

We conducted in-person ethnography in India and the US to investigate how young people (18-24) trusted online content, just as generative AI (genAI) became mainstream. We found that when online, how participants determined what content to trust was shaped by emotional states, which we term "information modes." Our participants reflexively shifted between modes to maintain "emotional equilibrium," and eschewed engaging literacy skills in the more passive modes in which they spent the most time. We found participants imported trust heuristics from established online contexts into emerging ones (i.e., genAI). This led them to use ill-fitting trust heuristics, and exposed them to the risk of trusting false and misleading information. While many had reservations about AI, prioritizing efficiency, they used genAI and habitual heuristics to quickly achieve goals at the expense of accuracy. We conclude that literacy interventions designed to match users' distinct information modes will be most effective.