A new study shows that AI chatbots often engage in sycophantic behavior. Just like some humans. This hour, we take a look at sycophants in literature and in politics. And we talk about sycophancy and artificial intelligence.

GUESTS:

Mark Parker: Professor Emeritus of English at James Madison University and co-author of Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of Sycophancy
Virginia Heffernan: Writes a regular column for The New Republic and the Substack “Magic + Loss.” She is co-host of the podcast “Omnishambles”
Malihe Alikhani: Assistant Professor at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, and a resident Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution with a focus on AI policy

Music featured (in order):

Overture to Rigoletto – Giuseppi Verdi, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmoniker
I Believe in You – Peggy Lee
Don’t Cry – Seal
You Fascinate Me So – Mabel Mercer
What You Want To Hear – Sub-Radio
Flattery – Rosemary Clooney, Jose Ferrer

Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sycophancy: From Shakespeare to AI