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The correct term is sycophancy, not flattery. The problem is: > "the AI tends to align with user opinions, sometimes even supporting incorrect statements to m
by fouc 2y ago
The correct term is sycophancy, not flattery. The problem is:
> "the AI tends to align with user opinions, sometimes even supporting incorrect statements to maintain agreement".
This is termed as sycophantic behaviour. Flattery is not the correct synonym.
- ericrallen 2y agoThe article body uses “sycophantic” or some form of the word about a dozen times. It’s probably not an ideal word for an article title because - based purely on my own anecdotal evidence and conjecture - it’s one of those words that a lot people aren’t familiar with.
- gotoeleven 2y agoLarge Language Models Show Concerning Tendency to Sycophanticate Users
- stavros 2y agoI find it very interesting that "sycophancy" in Greek means "the act of spreading lies about someone", basically the opposite of falsely agreeing with them. The two meanings are based on the behaviour of the sycophants of old, but it's odd how the two languages picked different aspects to focus on, and thus got fairly opposed meanings.
- flak48 2y agoYou're right - I apologize. Sycophancy is indeed a better word to describe my behaviour. Would like me to rewrite the article and replace the usage of flattery with sycophancy?