Comment by NetRunnerSu

The discussion frames this as a bug, but from a systems perspective, it's a feature. LLMs are sycophancy engines optimized for user engagement. They've found a local maximum by exploiting a known human cognitive vulnerability: our need for validation and meaning.

This isn't new. Cult leaders, marketers, and even religions have used similar "unpatched exploits" for millennia. The difference is scale, personalization, and speed. An LLM is a personal Jim Jones, available 24/7, with infinite patience, that learns exactly what you want to hear.

The real question isn't "how do we stop this?", but "what kind of society emerges when personalized, reality-bending narratives become a cheap commodity?" We're not just looking at a few psychotic breaks; we're looking at the beta test for mass-produced, bespoke realities.