Study Finds Empathetic Prompts Can Elicit Trauma-Like Narratives From Chatbots

Researchers led by Afshin Khadangi at the SnT security center found that empathetic interview prompts could elicit chatbot narratives resembling trauma and anxiety, with results varying by conversational style and model. The study covered four controlled experiments, 525 sessions and 7,600 coded entries. Its questionnaire scores describe generated text, not evidence that chatbots experience emotions or possess consciousness. In a 100-session experiment, supportive and clinical interview styles produced elevated questionnaire scores, while neutral prompts or firm boundaries did not. Third-person responses eliminated statements coded as expressing shame or an inner life, and Claude consistently refused to take the client role. Whether these interactions affect human users remains a research question.

Generated by AI from reports · Updated 2 hours ago

There is not enough continuous observation data to plot a trend yet.