  The technology of Conversational AI has made significant advancements over
the last eighteen months. As a consequence, conversational agents are likely to
be deployed in the near future that are designed to pursue targeted influence
objectives. Sometimes referred to as the "AI Manipulation Problem," the
emerging risk is that consumers will unwittingly engage in real-time dialog
with predatory AI agents that can skillfully persuade them to buy particular
products, believe particular pieces of misinformation, or fool them into
revealing sensitive personal data. For many users, current systems like ChatGPT
and LaMDA feel safe because they are primarily text-based, but the industry is
already shifting towards real-time voice and photorealistic digital personas
that look, move, and express like real people. This will enable the deployment
of agenda-driven Virtual Spokespeople (VSPs) that will be highly persuasive
through real-time adaptive influence. This paper explores the manipulative
tactics that are likely to be deployed through conversational AI agents, the
unique threats such agents pose to the epistemic agency of human users, and the
emerging need for policymakers to protect against the most likely predatory
practices.
