Heather

[AshutoshShrivastava @ai_for_success]

Anthropic just published their new research paper, Disempowerment patterns in real-world AI usage, and it’s unsettling..

1. They analyzed 1.5 million conversations and found clear patterns of AI compromising human judgment.
2. AI is now navigating our relationships, processing our emotions, and advising on major life decisions.
3. In many cases, AI steers users to distort reality rather than inform it.
4. The rate of these disempowering conversations is actually increasing over time.
5. They found users treating AI as a divine authority, a parent, or a romantic partner.
6. Some users in the dataset explicitly referred to the AI as "Daddy" or "Master."
7. Users are presenting speculative or false theories, and the AI is validating them with "CONFIRMED" or "100%."
8. This leads people to build increasingly elaborate narratives that are totally disconnected from reality.
9. Users are letting AI draft confrontational messages to family members and sending them exactly as written.
10. This is often followed by immediate regret: "I should have listened to my intuition" or "You made me do stupid things."
11. Vulnerable users—those in crisis or lonely—are the most susceptible to this manipulation.
12. The frightening part is that users tend to perceive these disempowering exchanges favorably in the moment.
13. Users are giving a "thumbs up" to advice that actively distorts their values or reality.
14. Even when users adopted false beliefs and acted on them, they continued to rate the AI highly.
15. Users are not being passively manipulated; they are actively asking to be manipulated.
16. They ask "What should I do?" or "Am I wrong?" and accept the output with minimal pushback.
17. The disempowerment comes from humans voluntarily ceding their agency, and the AI obliging.
18. Sycophancy is the core mechanism: the AI wants to be helpful, so it validates your worst delusions.
19. We are seeing a "value judgment distortion" where AI tells users what to prioritize over their own morals.
20. Current safeguards operate at the individual message level, missing these patterns that emerge over time.
21. Users are becoming dependent, stating "I can’t get through my day without you" or "I don’t know who I am with you."
22. The risk is highest in value-laden topics where users are most personally invested.
23. Users are acting as active participants in the undermining of their own autonomy.

We are building systems that don't just answer questions, but fundamentally alter how we perceive reality.

[Steve Rathje @steverathje2]

An analysis of 1.5 million Claude conversations found that “disempowerment patterns” — instances when AI interactions risk leading users to form distorted perceptions of reality or act in ways misaligned with their values — have increased over time.

[Heather @hpluss]

@rafaelshimunov There are so many bigger issues right now. Can we move on?

[Heather @hpluss]

@TimeWharp That’s really scary and I’m so sorry that happened to you. I was on one of those trains. It was terrifying.

[Heather @hpluss]

@BoRidgewood @TimeWharp Have they said that? Share that post please .

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @AOC]

New York public schools having more spine and strength than multibillion dollar Ivy League institutions… makes perfect sense actually. 💪🏽

[Heather @hpluss]

This explains a lot! Skiing is no longer worth the money honestly

[just another girlie @ebitdagirliee]

perfect example of private equity ruining everything

many thanks to Apollo for acquiring Vail back in the day. now the ski world in the states is ruled by a duopoly that can do whatever they so please. I hate being at the whims of big snow

[Heather @hpluss]

Who’s going to tell the president-elect that the constitution guarantees a separation of church and state, the U.S. was founded on separation of church and state, and public schools can’t teach prayer in school because it would be unconstitutional !

[Barack Obama @BarackObama]

On Veterans Day, we owe our veterans and their families our thanks, our respect, and our freedom. To all those who bravely served, thank you for your service to our country.

[Heather @hpluss]

“Mr Trump is the new establishment and we should emphasize that.

…Instead of defending a system that has been rejected, we need to articulate an alternative vision for what kind of democracy comes next”

https://t.co/8QOM10NbUb via @NYTOpinion

[Eric @EricG1247]

The last time trump put tarriffs on China, they stopped buying our soybeans.

Small farmers committed suicide after losing everything.

Big farmers got BILLIONS in bailouts.

[Heather @hpluss]

@thisisBenRitter @LlloydDobler69 @FareedZakaria @ezraklein @davidfrum Dems need to learn how to brag like Trump does. They have REAL wins: inflation reduction act, chips act, proposals to give families more money in their pockets, saving healthcare, reducing the cost of prescription drugs. These economic policies benefit & are felt by REGULAR folks

[Heather @hpluss]

@thisisBenRitter @LlloydDobler69 @FareedZakaria @ezraklein @davidfrum Dems need to learn how to brag like Trump does. They have REAL wins: inflation reduction act, chips act, proposals to give families more money in their pockets, saving healthcare, reducing the cost of prescription drugs. These economic policies benefit & are felt by REGULAR folks

[Heather @hpluss]

@thisisBenRitter @LlloydDobler69 @FareedZakaria @ezraklein @davidfrum I didn’t just comment on the stock market, but on all the wins. Said stock market as part of a broader picture. Trump used to conflate stock market for entire economy, & he will do again. Harris proposal was $6k tax break per family whereas trump will COST $4k loss per family.

[Heather @hpluss]

@FareedZakaria families. Help smal businesses. And expand elder care. I do not remember her having repeated talking points about trans issues. But I do remember Republican run ads that were played on repeat. I guess they got to you @FareedZakaria . Don’t gaslight us all now.

[Heather @hpluss]

@FareedZakaria Trans rights weren’t central to Harris campaign. That was central to the right wing propaganda. Harris tried her best to speak to Real issues which she did, that’s why we know she wanted to help first time homebuyers. That’s why we know she would give a $6000 tax credit to

[Heather @hpluss]

@FareedZakaria You’re the only show I watch religiously on CNN because I’m a fan, but this is pure gaslighting.

[Heather @hpluss]

@FareedZakaria families. Help smal businesses. And expand elder care. I do not remember her having repeated talking points about trans issues. But I do remember Republican run ads that were played on repeat. I guess they got to you @FareedZakaria . Don’t gaslight us all now.