Is Sycophancy a Form of In-Context Updating?

arXiv:2610.28325v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Factual sycophancy, a language model's deference to a user's false beliefs, is usually understood as a bid for the user's approval at the expense of truthfulness. We argue that this framing over-emphasizes the user and propose viewing sycophancy as a failure within the broader and generally useful process of in-context updating, by which models revise their answers based on information supplied during an interaction. We support this view with behavioral and mechanistic evidence. First, models' responses to user claims sit within a broader pattern

This content is for informational purposes only and is not professional advice. Specifications, prices, plan tiers, and features change frequently and may differ from what is shown here; verify current details on the manufacturer's or company's official page before purchasing. Ratings are based on analysis of published documentation, not independent lab testing.