  Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, specifically large language
models (LLMs), have the capability to generate not just misinformation, but
also deceptive explanations that can justify and propagate false information
and erode trust in the truth. We examined the impact of deceptive AI generated
explanations on individuals' beliefs in a pre-registered online experiment with
23,840 observations from 1,192 participants. We found that in addition to being
more persuasive than accurate and honest explanations, AI-generated deceptive
explanations can significantly amplify belief in false news headlines and
undermine true ones as compared to AI systems that simply classify the headline
incorrectly as being true/false. Moreover, our results show that personal
factors such as cognitive reflection and trust in AI do not necessarily protect
individuals from these effects caused by deceptive AI generated explanations.
Instead, our results show that the logical validity of AI generated deceptive
explanations, that is whether the explanation has a causal effect on the
truthfulness of the AI's classification, plays a critical role in countering
their persuasiveness - with logically invalid explanations being deemed less
credible. This underscores the importance of teaching logical reasoning and
critical thinking skills to identify logically invalid arguments, fostering
greater resilience against advanced AI-driven misinformation.
