Rhetorical XAI: Explaining AI's Benefits as well as its Use via Rhetorical Design

Abstract: This paper explores potential benefits of incorporating Rhetorical Design into the design of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) systems. While XAI is traditionally framed around explaining individual predictions or overall system behavior, explanations also function as a form of argumentation, shaping how users evaluate system perceived usefulness, credibility, and foster appropriate trust. Rhetorical Design offers a useful framework to analyze the communicative role of explanations between AI systems and users, focusing on: (1) logical reasoning conveyed through different types of explanations, (2) credibility projected by the system and its developers, and (3) emotional resonance elicited in users. Together, these rhetorical appeals help us understand how explanations influence user perceptions and facilitate AI adoption. This paper synthesizes design strategies from prior XAI work that align with these three rhetorical appeals and highlights both opportunities and challenges of integrating rhetorical design into XAI design.