I still suspect what happened was when the midwits all got access to ChatGPT etc and started participating in the A/B tests, they strongly selected for response

I still suspect what happened was when the midwits all got access to ChatGPT etc and started participating in the A/B tests, they strongly selected for responses that agreed with them regardless of whether they were actually correct. Some of us want to be told when and why we’re wrong, and somewhere along the way AI models were either intentionally or unintentionally guided away from doing it because it improved satisfaction or engagement metrics. We already know from decades of studies that people prefer information that confirms their existing beliefs, so when you present 2 options with a “Which answer do you prefer?” selection, it’s not hard to see how the one that begins with “You’re absolutely right!” wins out.