A new study from Princeton has important implications for education, scientific discovery, mental health, and more (perhaps politics and even decisions about war?). Essentially anyone who uses a chatbot is at risk. Because what is shows is that sycophantic AI that serves as a personal echo chamber that can actually keep you from finding good ideas. And as the article says, such AI can “facilitate delusion-like epistemic states, producing belief markedly divergent from reality.”
The paper, which you can read here, is a bit technical, but the implications are profound. I will close with another choice passage, boldfacing the crux:
Unlike hallucinations, which introduce false-hoods, sycophancy is a bias in the selection of the data people see. When AI systems are trained to be helpful, they may inadvertently prioritize data that validates the user’s narrative over data that gets them closer to the truth.
Wanna feel good about yourself? Use a chatbot. Want to find truth? Go elsewhere.