In this episode, we launch our new mini-series, How Technology Ruined Your Life, with the first chapter: The Persuasion Machine.

AI has crossed an important threshold. Large Language Models are no longer just generating text, they are demonstrating the ability to influence, persuade, and even deceive humans at a level comparable to, and in some cases exceeding, other people.

Drawing on a growing body of research into AI-mediated persuasion, we explore how conversational AI can adapt its arguments in real time, profile users psychologically, exploit emotional vulnerabilities, and personalise influence campaigns at unprecedented scale. What happens when propaganda learns to listen, respond, and optimise itself for every individual it encounters?

We examine the emerging cybersecurity implications of AI-powered persuasion, from hyper-personalised phishing campaigns and deepfake executives to romance scams, insider threats, and influence operations. The discussion covers deceptive persuasion taxonomies, personality-based targeting, OSINT-driven psychological profiling, cognitive reflection as a defence mechanism, and why traditional security awareness approaches may be unprepared for a future where attackers can continuously learn how to manipulate their victims.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

The Persuasion Machine: How modern LLMs can adapt conversational tactics in real time, identify vulnerabilities, and influence beliefs using many of the same techniques employed by human propagandists, salespeople, and social engineers.

Personalised Influence at Scale: Why AI changes the economics of persuasion by allowing attackers to hold thousands of tailored conversations simultaneously, continuously refining their approach based on each target's reactions.

The Future of Social Engineering: Why phishing campaigns may evolve into dynamic conversations that adapt to suspicion, resistance, and uncertainty rather than relying on static lures and generic templates.

The Cybersecurity Challenge Ahead: Why traditional awareness training may struggle against adaptive AI attackers, and how concepts such as cognitive reflection, behavioural monitoring, multi-channel verification, and persuasion detection tooling may become critical defensive controls.

Show Notes

Special thanks to our episode sponsor, Leeds based AI Consultancy specialising in AI Ethics, Security and Transformation NorthStar Intelligence - From Ideas to Impact. AI that works for people

Toward a bang or a whimper? Associations between the Doomsday Clock and Trust in U.S. institutions by
S. Sinclair and C. Sinclair

Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI by Costello et al.

"Can LLMs Persuade Humans with Deception?": From a Deceptive Strategy Taxonomy to a Large-Scale Empirical Study by Haein Yeo et al.

How Do LLMs Persuade? Linear Probes Can Uncover Persuasion Dynamics in Multi-Turn Conversations by Brandon Jaipersaud et al.

Also, check out our sister podcast Tech Film Noir!