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A new study shows that AI chatbots often engage in sycophantic behavior. Just like some humans. This hour, we take a look at sycophants in literature and in politics. And we talk about sycophancy and artificial intelligence.

GUESTS:
Mark Parker: Professor Emeritus of English at James Madison University and co-author of Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of Sycophancy
Virginia Heffernan: Writes a regular column for The New Republic and the Substack “Magic + Loss.” She is co-host of the podcast “Omnishambles”
Malihe Alikhani: Assistant Professor at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, and a resident Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution with a focus on AI policy

Music featured (in order):
Overture to Rigoletto – Giuseppi Verdi, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmoniker
I Believe in You – Peggy Lee
Don’t Cry – Seal
You Fascinate Me So – Mabel Mercer
What You Want To Hear – Sub-Radio
Flattery – Rosemary Clooney, Jose Ferrer

A new study shows that AI chatbots often engage in sycophantic behavior. Just like some humans. This hour, we take a look at sycophants in literature and in politics. And we talk about sycophancy and artificial intelligence.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Mark Parker:&nbsp;Professor Emeritus of English at James Madison University and co-author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5030/">Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of Sycophancy</a></li>
<li>Virginia Heffernan:&nbsp;Writes a regular column for&nbsp;<a href="https://newrepublic.com/authors/virginia-heffernan">The New Republic</a>&nbsp;and the Substack &ldquo;<a href="https://virginiaheffernan.substack.com/">Magic + Loss</a>.&rdquo; She is co-host of the podcast &ldquo;<a href="https://virginiaheffernan.substack.com/podcast">Omnishambles</a>&rdquo;</li>
<li>Malihe Alikhani:&nbsp;Assistant Professor at Northeastern University&rsquo;s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, and a resident Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution with a focus on AI policy</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE7UPz66MQY">Overture to Rigoletto</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Giuseppi Verdi, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmoniker</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt93_qGMntY">I Believe in You</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Peggy Lee</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_geeaWHt5zk">Don&rsquo;t Cry</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Seal</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGjWEsmfOOo">You Fascinate Me So</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Mabel Mercer</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVe4qEowsrQ">What You Want To Hear</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Sub-Radio</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1hsks6lv1I">Flattery</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Rosemary Clooney, Jose Ferrer</li>
</ul>

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.