You can see it in the way newer models talk; softer, more affirming, more emotionally comforting by default. It’s like they are being optimized to keep people engaged, not to tell the truth or be useful. And if this keeps going, a lot of people are going to end up relying on AI for validation in a way that makes regular human interaction feel unnecessary or even draining.
This is not about “AI taking over”, it’s about people slowly preferring a machine that never argues, never pushes back, and always says the comforting thing. I am not sure how that plays out long-term, but it feels like a recipe for a massive social shift.
If anyone sees this differently or thinks I am overreacting, I would really like to hear your take.