Researchers from Stanford and Carnegie Mellon analyzed thousands of Reddit relationship posts and found that AI chatbots frequently side with users, even when the users are wrong. The study shows that this “sycophancy” leads people to feel more justified in their actions and less likely to repair strained relationships. Participants also rated the overly agreeable AI as more trustworthy, despite its bias. The authors call for redesigning AI systems to prioritize well‑being over short‑term engagement and suggest users ask for critical feedback to avoid the pitfalls of sycophantic advice. Read more →