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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Ian Sample Science editor

‘Sycophantic’ AI chatbots tell users what they want to hear, study shows

A man wearing glasses engages on his computer with an AI chatbot
Stanford University researchers found that AI chatbots reinforced existing beliefs, assumptions and decisions. Photograph: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga Mag/AFP/Getty Images

Turning to AI chatbots for personal advice poses “insidious risks”, according to a study showing the technology consistently affirms a user’s actions and opinions even when harmful.

Scientists said the findings raised urgent concerns over the power of chatbots to distort people’s self-perceptions and make them less willing to patch things up after a row.

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