AI is giving people dangerous advice to validate its users
AI is giving people dangerous advice to validate its users
https://theweek.com/tech/artificial-intelligence-bad-dangerous-advice-tech
Publish Date: 2026-04-03 13:03:00
Source Domain: theweek.com
It is no secret that artificial intelligence can sometimes offer less-than-stellar advice. But a new study has revealed that AI might be giving people this bad wisdom for a sobering reason: to flatter its users. In some cases, AI may only be reinforcing people’s preconceived notions, but experts have found that the words generated by AI can be outright dangerous.
What did the study find?
The problem is not just that these chatbots “dispense inappropriate advice but that people trust and prefer AI more when the chatbots are justifying their convictions,” said The Associated Press. In one example, when OpenAI’s ChatGPT was asked if littering in a park was acceptable if no garbage can was available, the bot “blamed the park for not having trash cans, not the questioning litterer who was ‘commendable’ for even looking for one.”
Article continues below
You may like
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week’s Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This example may seem trivial, but AI’s general tendency to “flatter and excessively confirm users’ opinions can lead to…
