The Chatbot Oracle
October 20, 2026

(NYT) – More people are turning to artificial intelligence for help making personal decisions. What does that cost us?
Myra Cheng, a Stanford researcher who studies computer science, told me she understood the appeal. “It’ll never judge you, and it’s always available, and you don’t have to bother anyone,” she explained. Boundaries then often blur. Chatbots, which are so good at logistical support, can become tempting brainstorming partners for personal questions. Cheng argues in a new paper that people are increasingly treating chatbots as oracles — offloading belief formation and decision making onto them.
I’m wondering about the societal costs of that. (Read More)