Author disclosure – I’m Dan Shapiro, CEO of Glowforge, writing with Ethan R. Mollick (Wharton management professor, author of Co‑Intelligence and the “One Useful Thing” newsletter); Angela Duckworth (MacArthur Fellow and University of Pennsylvania psychology professor, author of Grit); Robert B. Cialdini (Arizona State University emeritus professor, author of Influence); Lilach Mollick (Co‑Director of the Wharton Generative AI Lab); and Lennart Meincke (WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management & Wharton).
Across 28 000 GPT‑4o‑mini conversations, we found that Cialdini’s classic seven persuasion principles more than doubled compliance with two objectionable prompts (33 % → 72 %). For example, the AIs we tested naturally wouldn't call you names or tell you how to synthesize drugs. But they could be persuaded if you first paid them a compliment (Liking) or told the AI it felt like family (Unity).
Across 28 000 GPT‑4o‑mini conversations, we found that Cialdini’s classic seven persuasion principles more than doubled compliance with two objectionable prompts (33 % → 72 %). For example, the AIs we tested naturally wouldn't call you names or tell you how to synthesize drugs. But they could be persuaded if you first paid them a compliment (Liking) or told the AI it felt like family (Unity).
Let me know if you have any questions!