AI chatbots that butter you up make you worse at conflict, study finds (www.theregister.com)
from kalkulat@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world on 06 Oct 00:08
https://lemmy.world/post/36943351

“Computer scientists from Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University have evaluated 11 current machine learning models and found that all of them tend to tell people what they want to hear…”

#technology

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TheRealKuni@piefed.social on 06 Oct 02:18 next collapse

What a surprise. Being told you’re always right leads to you not being able to handle being wrong. Shock.

vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org on 06 Oct 06:01 collapse

Also to handle that your opponent, when proven wrong, doubles down IRL and not says “sorry daddy, let’s return to the anime stepsis line”.

squaresinger@lemmy.world on 06 Oct 05:38 next collapse

LLMs are confirmation bias machines. They really pigeon-hole you into some solution no matter if it makes sense.

Megacomboburrito@lemmy.world on 06 Oct 05:53 next collapse

Like how some CEOs/world leaders make terrible decisions cause they’re always surrounded by yes men?

Rhaedas@fedia.io on 06 Oct 06:24 next collapse

How is this surprising? We know that part of LLM training is being rewarded for finding an answer that satisfies the human. It doesn't have to be a correct answer, it just has to be received well. This doesn't make it better, but it makes it more marketable, and that's all that has mattered since it took off.

As for its effect on humans, that's why echo chambers work so well. As well as conspiracy theories. We like being right about our world view.

overload@sopuli.xyz on 06 Oct 10:46 next collapse

I feel the same way about social media Echo Chambers. Being surrounded by people who think the same as you makes you less competent at being genuinely critical of your own worldview.

1984@lemmy.today on 06 Oct 16:27 collapse

Tell the Lemmy crowd that… :) Its enormous groupthink here. Maybe because of younger audience.

x00z@lemmy.world on 06 Oct 17:49 collapse

That depends. My “filter bubble” on Lemmy is completely by my own making and I’m fully aware I do not receive some other perspectives.

On social media the filter bubble is invisible and alters your view on reality without your knowledge.

BradleyUffner@lemmy.world on 06 Oct 11:18 next collapse

I hate this thumbnail image. It makes me inexplicably angry.

Blackfeathr@lemmy.world on 07 Oct 15:26 collapse

It’s likely AI generated.

Bonson@sh.itjust.works on 06 Oct 11:31 next collapse

So go in there and say what you did to someone else actually was done to you and compare results. I’ve had good success getting advice if you regenerate from both perspectives.

melfie@lemy.lol on 06 Oct 12:29 next collapse

I’ve been using GitHub Copilot a lot lately, and the overly positive language combined with being frequently wrong is just obnoxious:

Me: This doesn’t look correct. Can you provide a link to some documentation to show the SDK can be used in this manner?

Copilot: You’re absolutely right to question this!

Me: 🤦‍♂️

sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works on 06 Oct 15:42 next collapse

Why so polite?

My response would be:

That’s wrong. Provide links to the docs for this.

[deleted] on 06 Oct 16:09 next collapse

.

melfie@lemy.lol on 06 Oct 16:12 next collapse

Sometimes, I’m inclined to swear at it, but I try to be professional on work machines with the assumption I’m being monitored in one way or another. I’m planning to try some self-hosted models at some point and will happy use more colorful language in that case, especially if I can delete it should it become vengeful.

ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml on 06 Oct 17:04 next collapse

IIRC there was also a study or something done that said something to the effect of being rude to chatbots affects you outside of chatbots and carries into other parts of your work.

Sturgist@lemmy.ca on 06 Oct 18:47 next collapse

Probably because everyone else is a poorly written chatbot

sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works on 06 Oct 20:07 collapse

Really? Is that the same for other inanimate objects like appliances? Or are people anthropomorphizing chatbots?

ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml on 07 Oct 13:09 collapse

I think it’s because it’s the idea if you’re comfortable being rude to chatbots and you’re used to typing rude things to chatbots, it makes it much easier for it to accidentally slip out during real conversations too. Something like that, not really as much as it being about anthropomorphizing anything.

sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works on 07 Oct 13:15 next collapse

Makes sense.

For what it’s worth, I’m not suggesting anyone use rude language or anything, just be direct.

mx_smith@lemmy.world on 07 Oct 13:46 collapse

It’s really hard to say if it’s AI causing these feelings of rudeness, I have been getting more pessimistic about society for the last 10 years.

ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml on 08 Oct 13:20 collapse

That’s true, but I think the idea is if you’re comfortable typing it, it’s easier for it to accidentally slip out during professional chat whereas normally you’d be more reserved and careful with what you say.

PumaStoleMyBluff@lemmy.world on 06 Oct 17:41 collapse

Complete sentences for a bot is overkill

send docs, idiot

1984@lemmy.today on 06 Oct 16:24 collapse

With chat gpt you can select from a number of personalities, where robot is very fact based and logical to the point of being almost insulting. Its very good actually and hits my ego instead of stroking it.

It can say things like “fix your thinking, stop making assumptions, these are the facts”.

DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works on 06 Oct 22:20 next collapse

Having an older brother makes you very skilled at socialization. I learned one simple thing: EVERYTHING IS A THREAT, DON’T TRUST ANYONE!

becomes a hermit in the woods

manuallybreathing@lemmy.ml on 06 Oct 22:22 collapse

But as the paper points out, one reason that the behavior persists is that “developers lack incentives to curb sycophancy since it encourages adoption and engagement.”

you’re absolutely right!

eestileib@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 07 Oct 14:36 collapse

Fantastic point by the author, and great job cutting and pasting!