See Widely, Think Wisely: Toward Designing a Generative Multi-agent System to Burst Filter Bubbles

The proliferation of AI-powered search and recommendation systems has accelerated the formation of “filter bubbles” that reinforce people’s biases and narrow their perspectives. Previous research has attempted to address this issue by increasing the diversity of information exposure, which is often hindered by a lack of user motivation to engage with. In this study, we took a human-centered approach to explore how Large Language Models (LLMs) could assist users in embracing more diverse perspectives. We developed a prototype featuring LLM-powered multi-agent characters that users could interact with while reading social media content. We conducted a participatory design study with 18 participants and found that multi-agent dialogues with gamification incentives could motivate users to engage with opposing viewpoints. Additionally, progressive interactions with assessment tasks could promote thoughtful consideration. Based on these findings, we provided design implications with future work outlooks for leveraging LLMs to help users burst their filter bubbles.