'I find it sycophantic, but it gives me dopamine hits’ — the thing I dislike most about AI is exactly what some users love

Woman focusing on work in a coffee shop, using a laptop and drinking coffee.

One of the biggest criticisms of AI chatbots is that they often just tell us what we want to hear.

Researchers call it sycophancy, the tendency for chatbots to flatter users, agree with them and validate their views, sometimes when those views are wrong — or even harmful and unethical.