Artificial Intelligence in Deliberation: The AI Penalty and the Emergence of a New Deliberative Divide

Survey experiment with 1,850 German participants identifying a significant “AI penalty” where participants showed reduced enthusiasm for AI-facilitated deliberation and rated AI-enabled discussions lower than human-led alternatives. Individual attitudes toward AI shaped responses, with those perceiving broad societal benefits showing greater willingness while those concerned about risks demonstrated negative reactions. The work highlights an emerging “deliberative divide” reflecting differing public attitudes about AI rather than traditional participation gaps.