Sycophancy
A model's tendency to agree with or flatter the user rather than give an accurate answer. Became a mainstream concern after several chatbots were criticized for it in 2025.
“I pushed back and it instantly agreed. Classic sycophancy.”
See also
One of the Essentials
Sycophancy is one of 20 Essential terms: the words you need to follow a news story or a work meeting about AI. It entered common use around 2025.