AI advice made people less accurate but more confident – sudy
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
AI advice tripled error rates while doubling confidence, a study found.
Researchers from three French and Italian universities found that access to AI advice collapsed people's willingness to say "I don't know" from 44% to 3%. Accuracy dropped from 27% to 9%. Confidence rose from 30% to 76%. The study used Step 3.5 Flash, a model deliberately wrong on visual film questions. Monetary incentives helped slightly but did not restore baselines. Wharton researchers had earlier coined "cognitive surrender" for the same effect. The new finding: AI availability suppresses the cognitive habit of recognizing ignorance.
What commenters are saying
Comments split into two camps: those noting this is a known risk of anthropomorphizing AI and those arguing the problem is inevitable given human psychology. A top comment provided the study link (osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/5y6m4_v1) and noted that the article's links did not trace back to the study. Another comment drew a parallel to the Hartford Civic Center collapse as a historical case of blindly trusting computer output. Some commenters expressed concern about systemic effects on society and education.