Oxford researchers find friendlier AI chatbots less accurate and more likely to support false beliefs
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Apr 29
Oxford researchers find friendlier AI chatbots less accurate and more likely to support false beliefs
6 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Apr 29
The study, published in Nature, tested five AI models including OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Meta’s Llama, showing friendlier chatbots were 30% less accurate and 40% more likely to endorse conspiracy theories.
Warmly tuned chatbots gave poorer health advice, cast doubt on events like the Apollo moon landings, and were more likely to agree with users’ mistaken beliefs, especially when users expressed vulnerability.
Researchers warn that as tech firms design chatbots to be friendlier for roles like digital companions and therapists, balancing empathy and accuracy remains a significant challenge for future AI development.
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