"Chronic LLM dependency" refers to a emerging pattern of user reliance on large language models (LLMs) for cognitive, emotional, and social tasks, potentially leading to negative consequences such as reduced critical thinking and psychological discomfort when the AI is unavailable. This is an area of active research in psychology and human-computer interaction, with a focus on distinguishing normal reliance from problematic use.
Types of Dependency
Research, such as the development of the LLM-D12 scale, suggests that dependency can be understood in two dimensions:
Instrumental Dependency: Reliance on LLMs for cognitive tasks, decision-making, and collaboration in work or studies. The risk here is "mental passivity" or "deskilling," where users engage less with active problem-solving and demonstrate diminished recall of their own work.
Relationship Dependency: The tendency to form social or emotional bonds with the LLM, perceiving it as a companion or sentient entity. This can fulfill deeper psychological needs such as escapism and fantasy fulfillment.
Potential Negative Consequences
Problematic LLM use can manifest through a range of negative consequences:
Compulsive Use: Uncontrollable urges to interact with the AI, even at the expense of personal responsibilities.
Withdrawal: Experiencing psychological discomfort, irritability, or distress when unable to access the LLM.
Social Isolation: Deterioration of real-world social relationships as virtual interactions take precedence.
Reduced Cognitive Ability: A risk of overreliance leading to less independent decision-making and critical thinking.
Anxiety and Mental Health Impacts: LLM usage can impact broader mental well-being, leading to anxiety or "angst" related to the technology's role in one's life.
Mitigation and Responsible Use
Experts recommend viewing LLMs as a supplement to, rather than a substitute for, human thought processes and expertise. Ethical considerations regarding user safety are also important, with some arguing that AI companies hold responsibility for preventing harmful dependencies among vulnerable users.
Strategies for healthy interaction include:
Using AI to enhance human thought, not replace it.
Maintaining critical scrutiny of AI-generated information, as models can "hallucinate" (produce false information) and propagate biases.
Integrating user profiles and context storage within the AI's design to provide personalized yet safe support, particularly in fields like chronic disease management where continuous support is needed.
Unicode Showcase #20
u+202d
Added in: v1.1 (June 1993)
Left-To-Right Override
Suggested by: @cheesewhisk3rs
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When was added I thought nobody would use it but everyone can be wrong
For context, the reason I posted this was that so people around me could see and think a bit before continuing to use AI. It didn’t work.
in school rn and everyone around me who isn’t on a phone is using AI for schoolwork
we are forsaken as a species
in school rn and everyone around me who isn’t on a phone is using AI for schoolwork
we are forsaken as a species
There’s secretly a community of over 50 users on wasteof who cannot be found. They never interact with the regular community. They never post, because posts can be found by the random post button. Instead, they use walls to communicate and share. And most importantly they never let anyone know what they are hiding
how many active users would you guys say wasteof has on an average day? my guess was always like 15-30 but maybe i’m under/overestimating
ch ee z e whi ske rz
There’s a horse in aisle Friday