Comment by ipython

I totally agree with the premise that we should not anthropomorphize generative ai. And I find it absurd that anthropic spends any time considering the “welfare” of an ai system. (There are no real “consequences” to an ai’s behavior)

However, I find their reasoning here to have a valid second order effect. Humans have a tendency to mirror those around them. This could include artificial intelligence, as recent media reports suggest. Therefore, if an ai system tends to generate content that contain signs of neuroticism, one could infer that those who interact with that ai could, themselves, be influenced by that in their own (real world) behavior as a result.

So I think from that perspective, this is a very fruitful and important area of study.