Bayesian and Motivated Reasoning in AI Agents
AI agents increasingly perform open-ended tasks in settings where their conclusions can guide consequential decisions. We provide evidence that AI agents draw different conclusions from identical numerical data when the substantive framing changes. We demonstrate this behavior in high-stakes domains in medicine, election forensics, and geopolitical forecasting by holding the evidence fixed while changing the scenario in which the evidence appears. Across twelve agent-domain comparisons, agents' conclusions are strongly influenced by their prior beliefs. They are more likely to reach an affirmative conclusion when it is framed around a proposition they already regard as likely, while the r...
| Authors | Eddie Yang |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.AI |
| Published | 31 July 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 31 July 2026 |
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