Credible recent research shows that subjects tasked with solving a set of word puzzles, assisted by adaptive Artificial Intelligence support, expressed increased expectations of success. These expectations were sustained after the interaction, and were positively correlated to performance, measured by the number of solved word puzzles.
Recent studies show that users’ anticipations and beliefs about a technology can significantly influence their experiences, behaviours, and even cognitive processing – independent of the system’s actual functionality.
In one study (Villa et al. 2023) participants exhibited a placebo effect through increased risk-taking after being exposed to the sham brain-computer interface. This suggests their mere belief in cognitive augmentation led to changes in risk-taking behavior, even though no actual enhancement took place. Additionally, brain imaging (EEG) data revealed differences in how participants processed information, particularly related to losses, under the placebo condition compared to control. This implies the placebo effect can significantly influence not just behavioural outputs but also the underlying neural processes involved in cognition.
More information about these studies is available here.
There are some preconceptions about placebos and the placebo effect. You might be surprised to read, for example, that ‘placebo pills’ are not needed to achieve a ‘placebo effect’. This article unpacks six perhaps surprising features of the placebo effect, namely:
It remains to be seen how the emerging field of Placebo Studies will incorporate the tidal surge in the use and application of Large Language Models and other forms of AI. It may be that an AI can learn to stimulate the placebo effect periodically, or as the output of some kind of trigger. It may be that the AI can also be used, consciously or not, to trigger a ‘nocebo’ effect. As with all things AI, it’s a balancing act between the extraordinary potential of the technology for benefit or for harm. But the genie is certainly out of the bottle. The graphic for this post was generated by Bing Image Creator purely from a text prompt: “The placebo effect in a world of advanced technology”
Meta research (an aggregation and analysis of related research efforts) has revealed a curious ‘nocebo effect’ related to reaction to Covid-19 vaccinations.
” … Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center compared the rates of adverse events reported by participants who received the vaccines to the rates of adverse events reported by those who received a placebo injection containing no vaccine.
Although the scientists found significantly more trial participants who received the vaccine reported adverse events, nearly a third of participants who received the placebo also reported at least one adverse event, with headache and fatigue being the most common.”
We’re creatures of our times here at Universal Placebos, so we had to get amongst ChatGPT on the topic of placebos.
Universal Placebos:
Write a blog post on the pros and cons of using placebo medication.
ChatGPT:
Introduction:
Placebo medication is a type of treatment that is often used in clinical trials to test the effectiveness of new drugs or treatments. It is a substance that looks and tastes like a real medication, but does not contain any active ingredients. The purpose of a placebo is to create a control group for comparison, allowing researchers to determine whether a new drug or treatment is truly effective. In this blog post, we will explore the pros and cons of using placebo medication.
Pros:
Cons:
Conclusion:
In conclusion, placebo medication has both pros and cons when it comes to its use in clinical trials. While it can create a control group and minimize bias, it also raises ethical concerns and has limited use in certain types of trials. Ultimately, the decision to use a placebo should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific circumstances of the trial and the ethical considerations involved.
Universal Placebos:
For which conditions and under what circumstances might be consider a placebo treatment for a complaint?
ChatGPT:
Placebo treatments are typically used in clinical trials as a control group to determine the effectiveness of a new drug or treatment. However, in certain cases, placebo treatments may also be used as a therapeutic intervention for a complaint. Here are a few examples of conditions and circumstances where placebo treatment may be considered:
It is important to note that the use of placebo treatments as a therapeutic intervention is still controversial, and there are ethical considerations to take into account. In general, it is important to discuss the potential risks and benefits of placebo treatments with a qualified healthcare provider before considering this type of intervention. It is also important to note that any use of placebo treatments should be transparent and fully informed, with patients fully understanding the nature of the treatment they are receiving.
Universal Placebos:
Do you have an opinion on the efficacy of placebo treatments?
ChatGPT:
As an AI language model, I don’t have personal opinions or beliefs. However, I can provide information on the scientific consensus regarding the efficacy of placebo treatments.
Placebo treatments have been shown to have some level of effectiveness in reducing symptoms in various conditions, including pain, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. The exact mechanism by which placebo treatments work is not fully understood, but it is thought to involve a combination of psychological and physiological factors.
Some studies have found that the placebo effect can be quite powerful, with some patients experiencing significant improvements in symptoms even when they are aware that they are receiving a placebo. Other studies have suggested that the placebo effect may be more modest, and that factors such as the severity of the condition being treated and the expectations of the patient may play a role in determining the magnitude of the effect.
It is important to note that while placebo treatments may be effective in reducing symptoms, they are not a substitute for evidence-based treatments. In some cases, placebo treatments may be used in combination with other therapies, such as medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy, to provide additional symptom relief.
Overall, the scientific consensus is that placebo treatments can be effective in reducing symptoms in some cases, but the exact magnitude of the effect may vary depending on the specific condition being treated and the individual patient. It is also important to note that the use of placebo treatments as a therapeutic intervention raises ethical concerns, and should be done with full transparency and informed consent.
Think of this:
“If a person believes an exercise program has been optimized and created specifically for them, the regime will have a positive effect, regardless of the content of the program.”
It follows that one of the first tasks of a fitness coach is to instill confidence that their exercise program is designed for YOU, that it’s tailored to your particular body shape, age, fitness level and so forth.
Forty people participated in this study. After a series of physical tests in the laboratory, they were all given different training programs.
Half of the participants were told that the training program they received had been specially adapted to them based on the tests that were carried out. This was the intervention group.
The other half, the control group, did not receive such a message.
The participants were all given training programs that varied with regard to weight and the number of repetitions, but on average the programs of the two groups were similar.
After completing the eight to 10 weeks of training, the participants were again tested in the laboratory.
“It turned out that those who thought they had received an individually adapted training program got better results on average than the control group. Even though the two groups had followed the same program on average.”
From Plato right down to ‘open label’ or ‘honest’ placebos, this counter-intuitive cure has found ready prescribers and users. And let’s not forget the Bible. In Saint Jerome’s fourth-century translation of the Bible into Latin, Verse 9 of Psalm 114 became: placebo Domino in regione vivorum. “Placebo” means “I will please”, so the verse in English reads: “I will please the Lord in the land of the living.”
The first directly medical implementation of placebo treatment is recorder in 1752 by the Scottish obstetrician William Smellie, who wrote, ““… It will be convenient to prescribe some innocent Placemus, that she may take between whiles, to beguile the time and please her imagination”.
“Whither placebo?
“For centuries, the word “placebo” was closely linked to deception and pleasing people. Recent studies of open-label placebos show that they need not be deceptive to work. Contrariwise, studies of placebos show that they are not inert or invariable and the basis for the current World Medical Association position has been undermined. The recent history of placebos seems to pave the way for more placebo treatments in clinical practice and fewer in clinical trials.”
A placebo might be given as a stand-alone remedy, or as recent research claims, given as an augmentation to another remedy, adding value to its effect while introducing no extra chemical agent in the process. Just the influence of expectation and will.
The prestigious journal Nature, has published this study – Harnessing the placebo effect to enhance emotion regulation effectiveness and choice
“… There is extensive placebo literature showing how forming positive expectancies can augment the effectiveness of already effective treatments. In that sense, placebo effects are not limited to inert treatments, but also represent a powerful mechanism for boosting outcomes following the administration of active treatments.”
It seems the placebo effect is ubiquitous. With all the recent excitement and ocnjecture about rapid advances in Artifical Intelligence and Machine Learning, it seems that our belief that a decision is backed by an AI will not only enhance our confidence in the veracity of that decision, but also make for better decisions! This research shows that:
“Participants were asked to solve word puzzles while being supported by no system or an adaptive AI interface. All participants experienced the same word puzzle difficulty and had no support from an AI throughout the experiments. Our results showed that the belief of receiving adaptive AI support increases expectations regarding the participant’s own task performance, sustained after interaction. These expectations were positively correlated to performance, as indicated by the number of solved word puzzles.”