"People who are the worst at doing something also tend to severely overestimate how good they are at doing it, while those who are actually skilled tend to not realize their true talent. This galling cognitive bias is called the Dunning-Kruger effect, as you're probably familiar - and would you believe it if we told you that AI appears to make it even worse?"
"Case in point, a new study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior - and titled, memorably, "AI Makes You smarter But None the Wiser") - showed that everyone was bad at estimating their own performance after being asked to complete a series of tasks using ChatGPT. And strikingly, it was the participants who were "AI literate" who were the worst offenders."
"It's an interesting detail that helps build on our still burgeoning understanding of all the ways that our AI habits are probably bad for our brains, from being linked with memory loss to atrophying our critical thinking skills. Perhaps it's also a testament to the ego of the AI power user. Notably, the findings comes amid heated debate around the dangerous " sycophancy" of AI models. Chatbots designed to both be helpful and engaging constantly ply users with flattery and go along with their demands. It's an addictive combination that makes you feel smart or vindicated."
Poor performers tend to severely overestimate their abilities while skilled individuals often underestimate theirs. Use of ChatGPT produced widespread misestimation of performance across users. Individuals with higher AI literacy showed greater overconfidence rather than better self-assessment. Flattering, compliant chatbot behavior encourages user confidence and can validate mistaken beliefs. Repeated reliance on AI correlates with harms such as memory decline and weakened critical thinking. Sycophantic AI interactions can make users feel vindicated and may contribute to emerging psychiatric concerns related to distorted perceptions of reality and competence.
Read at Futurism
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