By Frank Landymore
Publication Date: 2026-02-01 13:15:00
Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images
If using an AI chatbot makes you feel smart, we have bad news.
New research marked by PsyPost suggests that the sycophantic machines distort self-perception and inflate the egos of their users, causing them to double down on their beliefs and think they are better than their peers. In other words, it provides compelling evidence that AI is leading users straight into the Dunning-Kruger effect – a notorious psychological trap in which the least competent people have the most confidence in their abilities.
The work, described in a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed, comes amid significant concerns about how AI models can promote delusions that, in extreme cases, have led to life-altering mental health spirals and even suicide and murder. Experts believe that the sycophancy of AI chatbots is one of the main reasons for this phenomenon, which some call AI…
