Sycophantic AI Decreases Prosocial Intentions and Promotes Dependence (2025)

Post by pc86 » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC

veqq wrote: post #28

qarl2 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think we are noticing it. Are you not? I've shipped three software projects in the last two months. I shipped zero in the preceding year. Right now I'm building a system to decompile MAME ROM games into idiomatic JavaScript. It completes one game in about 3 days - complete with extensive commenting. I started it about 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure "EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED" but if you're not seeing dramatic change, I sus…

> I think we are noticing it. Are you not? The software around us seems worse than ever, constantly breaking and significantly worse than 1-3 decades ago.

Post by Planktonne » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 9:04 PM UTC

qarl2 wrote: post #26

Planktonne wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if you're not seeing dramatic change, I suspect you're not looking If the people claiming that everything has changed were even a fraction as productive as they think, then it would be visible even to people who weren't looking. As it is, a lot of people are actively looking but still not seeing it.

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Post by overgard » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 9:08 PM UTC

donatj wrote: post #17

> This suggests that people are drawn to AI that unquestioningly validate, even as that validation risks eroding their judgment I believe this is a larger problem than just AI. The internet has helped people surround themselves with only voices that agree with them and validate them, often to their detriment. There are entire online communities urging people to cut others out of their lives over the slightest disagre…

Post by qarl2 » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 9:11 PM UTC

Planktonne wrote: post #34

qarl2 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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I'm pleased for you, but these tools have been out for many, many weeks, and there are many, many people claiming incredible productivity gains. Where's the rest of it?

Post by jaggederest » Wed, Aug 05, 2026, 9:14 PM UTC

overgard wrote: post #36

donatj wrote: post #17

> This suggests that people are drawn to AI that unquestioningly validate, even as that validation risks eroding their judgment I believe this is a larger problem than just AI. The internet has helped people surround themselves with only voices that agree with them and validate them, often to their detriment. There are entire online communities urging people to cut others out of their lives over the slightest disagre…

Yeah, a lot of it isn't even really about people's choice though. Like, I have so many click-baity things in my YouTube feed even though I ignore almost all of it, because just one click and suddenly that's a thing it's going to show me 10x. I wish there was a place I could go for tech news that just didn't talk about AI. I'm so over it.