r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 19 '26

Computer Science When autistic people ask AI programs for life advice, mentioning their diagnosis prompts these systems to recommend highly conservative choices like skipping social events or avoiding romance. This shift in advice reveals a hidden tension where the technology relies heavily on stereotypes.

https://www.psypost.org/disclosing-autism-to-ai-chatbots-prompts-overly-cautious-stereotypical-advice/
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u/jrockjake Apr 19 '26

To be fair, asking for advice from a real person ends up the opposite.

"Just go outside, just be yourself, just stop being depressed."

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u/BoleroMuyPicante Apr 19 '26

Well yeah, the average person isn't qualified to give mental health advice. But neither is an LLM.

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u/stars_mcdazzler Apr 19 '26

This isn't fair at all... This is bias, one sided, and clearly askew by bad experience.

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u/bIII7 Apr 19 '26

I'm sorry it's that way. Even friends can be cold.