Before You Hit Share: How Does AI Shape Your Decisions?

Why do people press the “share” button? That apparently simple question was the starting point for a master’s thesis defended by researchers at the Sorbonne a few months ago, examining the hidden motives behind an everyday online decision.

The research focused on the impulses behind a click that can send either an accurate news report or a carefully crafted falsehood to a wider audience. It also explored the role artificial intelligence plays in that process.

The question shifts attention from the content being circulated to the person choosing to circulate it. Sharing is not just a technical function: it is a decision that helps determine which information reaches others.

AI adds another dimension to that inquiry. Understanding its role means asking how it may influence the decisions people make, rather than looking only at whether a particular item is true or false.

The summary of the thesis does not provide findings or explain how the research was conducted. It does, however, frame a consequential question for online readers: what is driving the decision in the moment before they hit share?