The Rhetoric of Machine Learning

Abstract

I examine the technology of machine learning from the perspective of rhetoric, which is simply the art of persuasion. Rather than being a neutral and "objective" way to build "world models" from data, machine learning is (I argue) inherently rhetorical. I explore some of its rhetorical features, and examine one pervasive business model where machine learning is widely used, "manipulation as a service."

25 pages. Text of a talk given at AlphaPersuade 2.0, 26 March 2026