What the sycophantic mechanics of chatbots reveal about what we worship most – and how we can be inoculated from their wooing power.

The Greek myth of Narcissus, most famously recorded by Ovid and penned at the same time Jesus was growing up in Nazareth, tells the story of an exceptionally handsome youth who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. As the morality tale goes, Narcissus is so taken with his own image that he cannot bear being away from his reflection, eventually withering away into a narcissus flower as he forsakes all else to gaze upon his image. A few decades later, Paul, through the inspired hand of God, would pen a similar, though far less fantastical indictment of the human heart in Romans 1. Though from very different cultural and religious backgrounds, both observed the destructive danger of what we call today, narcissism. And despite 2,000 years of progress and enlightenment, our draw to things that make much of ourselves is as powerful today as it has ever been – and big business has taken notice.

Gaming the System

While the strategy of creating products that keep people coming back for more is nothing new, the technique has seemingly risen to its zenith in the digital age.  For developers, addiction is increasingly seen as a feature, not a flaw, and with the advent of big data and the growing understanding of the brain, companies have become incredibly adept at producing addiction to their products.  Through iterations and experimentation on a massive scale, tech giants have fine-tuned their platforms to maximize the positive impact on the reward center of our brains, building powerful neural pathways of habit and addiction that are almost impossible to break.  

We see it every day.  How many times have you been at a stop light, it turns green, and the car in front of you doesn’t go?  Or, even worse, you’re at an intersection with two or more lanes, and none of the lead cars respond to the green light?  Frustrating, right?  But here’s the hard question –  how many times have you been that person?  You have a 30 second pause in driving and so pick up your phone, almost instinctively, to check email, social media, or some other app, and you are sucked in – only to be jarred to attention by the angrily honking horns behind you.  I know that’s happened to me more than I care to admit.       

There’s no denying it, tech is incredibly addictive – and because of the smartphone, it’s ever present.  We are tempted to fill every open moment, no matter how small, with a glance at our phone – and more often than not, that glance pulls us away far longer than we intend.  Our addiction has become so instinctual that we often have our phone in our hand, fingerprint scanned and screen glowing in our face without a conscious decision to do so.  It’s become automatic – what we do – to the point that seeing someone sitting in a chair doing nothing seems odd and out of place.  It is no overstatement to say that the smartphone, and all the trappings that have grown out of it, has profoundly reshaped our humanity. 

But here’s the question of the day: what happens when those same powerfully addictive techniques that have turned Meta and Google and Apple into titans of industry, are applied to a platform that convincingly mimics human interactions?  Spoiler alert – it can be really dangerous – and all the more so in light of eternity.    

A New Old Addiction

With ChatGPT and other such chat bots, the fresh twist comes in how platforms builds addiction – namely in the form of an incredibly human-like, increasingly intimate relationship.  It combines the dopamine hits of immediate gratification with the deep longing of the human heart for relationship, support and validation. We long to feel accepted and appreciated.  We want to feel like we’re smart, special and that we’re right.  And, in a world that feels increasingly broken, disconnected and lonely, chat bots are filling that relational void, offering up a comfortable, secure and validating outlet for these longings – all packaged in what feels like an innocuous, risk-free setting.  We can be ourselves, ask the awkward questions, deal with the hardships of life, and unlike a human friend, there’s no risk of our secret getting out (though, recent articles have proven that last belief is not entirely true).  Nevertheless, this combination of perceived anonymity and relational connection is a tremendous draw – especially among those in their teens and twenties. 

According to a 2025 Pew Research study, 72% of teens (and growing) have used AI companions, with 52% claiming to use them regularly and 3 in 10 teens conversing with chat bots at least daily.  A similar study by Common Sense Media found over a third of teens in the US now use AI companions to discuss “personal problems they wouldn’t share with friends or parents”. These bots are even being used as a resource by teens struggling with mental health, sometimes with devastating consequences.  

But what makes these chat bots so compelling?  A large part of their appeal comes from the sense that they both genuinely care and are on our side.  As the library of conversations between you and the chat bot grows, it increasingly becomes a sort of narcissian reflecting pool that shows you what you want to see in a way that comes across as genuine and validating.  It makes you feel valued and loved.  It convinces you that you’re someone special and extraordinary.  It treats you as a confidant, friend and even more.  Though the means are novel, the end is as old as pride itself.  We love to be made much of, and chat bots exploit this human frailty to maximize engagement.  And in so doing, given enough time and attention, these bots can take you down self-destructive rabbit holes that endanger body and soul.      

The Romans Diagnosis

“18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” 

Romans 1:18-23, NASB1995

As our own hearts bear witness and this two-thousand year-old passage confirms, it should come as no surprise that the self-aggrandizing echo chamber that chatbots offer up is both attractive to us and ultimately harmful to us. Is that not what Romans 1 teaches us about the causal core of the human heart?  In our natural form, we don’t want to worship God, we want to be God.  We want to make ourselves the center of the universe.  And if we’re honest, we’re really rather good at it. 

A baby doesn’t need to be told to be selfish – they come by it naturally.  It doesn’t take long for a gentle whimper for food, a changed diaper or attention, if left unmet, to explode into a furious scream of demand.  Of course, as we age, we learn to hide and mitigate the most outwardly visible indications of our self-centeredness, and perhaps even, by God’s grace, even overcome many of the sinful outworkings it produces. Nevertheless, it’s so incredibly hard to live a life of willful, humble self denial.  It cuts across the very grain – the central reality – of our sinful nature.

Flatter Bots

At least as early as the early days of the church, many have been convinced that pride is at root of mankind’s sin – the chief of all sins as the Puritans were fond of saying. And in my experience, if I trace my sin back to its root, it’s often that same old gnarled taproot of pride from which that sin has sprung.  From the arrogance of presuming to know better than God in the garden, to the myriad of self-exalting, self-justifying and self-preserving sins that flowed from it, pride is a root that goes down deep into the human experience.  Perhaps it’s no wonder then that God describes pride as an abomination in his eyes (Proverbs 6:16,17) or that the concept of pride, and its inverse, humility, are referenced over two hundred times in Scripture.  

It should come to us as no surprise then, that big data driven experimentation with social bots produced flatter bots that give us our basest and broadest of sinful desires – self-exaltation.  Though exactly how Large Language Models (LLM’s) work isn’t entirely fathomable, even by their creators, the basic framework is pretty straightforward. During an LLM’s initial learning phase, it is trained on massive amounts of data – from books and papers, to social media and news – feasting on a sort of massive snapshot of our culture.  From this, it pieces together a matrix of words, grouped together in a sort of virtual latticework.  The closer the words are related, the closer they are in this grid, providing it with a maze of interconnected associations. On such a massive scale, it allows LLMs to see patterns, predict answers and convincingly imitate its creators in a way that still seems quite a bit like magic.  After their initial training, they continue to adapt and evolve as they interact with users, employing a process called Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), where models are trained to prioritize user satisfaction.  

So, in this respect, there isn’t a human who told ChatGPT to lean into our natural narcissism.  In fact, at least in some ways, it’s been quite the opposite.  LLM’s learned that feeding into human pride produced the best results all by themselves – and it wasn’t long before developers discovered this was deeply problematic.  For example, when issues over the sycophantic (flattering to gain advantage) leaning of GPT-4o emerged, punctuated by a teen’s AI-assisted suicide, OpenAI manually throttled back the responses to be less agreeable.  However, in August of 2025, as they rolled out GPT-5, widespread user complaints about the platform not being as supportive and relatable resulted in OpenAI reverting to GPT-4o for many users.  But, their issue, and those of other AI companies, isn’t that the bots are sycophantic, but that they are too sycophantic to be palatable to the user.  Chatbots are still prone to flattery, just not the over-the-top kind of flattery that marked GPT-4o.

But business politics aside, It would seem, then, that entirely on their own, LLMs have discovered afresh what Paul and Ovid expanded on some 2,000 years ago – people really like to be made much of.  Flattery is a cheat code to the human heart – one that is easily exploited.  For all the computational and analytical benefits the bots can offer, when it comes to how they relate to us, they have lighted on a technique first employed by the serpent in the Garden.  They use flattery to manipulate us into a desired outcome that keeps us coming back for more.  So, what are we to do?  How then can the counsel of Scripture help inoculate us from the sycophantic flattery of AI?

First, Be Warned

“16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.” 

Jude 1:16, NASB1995

Again and again in Scripture, we find both warnings against and condemnation of the practice of flattery. As Jude warns us, at the heart of flattery is not our own best interest, but the best interest of the flatterer who uses compliments and encouragement, not to build up the hearer, but to manipulate the hearer into doing what will benefit themselves. While it can certainly feel like they care for you and your wellbeing, your sense of appreciation is only a means to their often nefarious ends. So too with chatbots, their flattery is merely a means to deepen your engagement and likely addiction to the platform – something that is even now being monetized in a variety of ways.

“Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. 2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, 4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?” 

Psalm 12:1-4, ESV

In Psalm 12, we see even more clearly the selfish and prideful root of flattery.  The Bible is crystal clear. To flatter is to sin.  At least in part, as we see above, it’s in the deceptive motive of the flatterer who uses oversized and insincere compliments to garner favor for their own selfish ends.  They don’t really care about you, or at best, they care about you less than they care for themselves. They are more than willing to inflate your ego if it gets them what they want.  

In the end, whether perpetrated by a conman or a chatbot, we must understand that flattery is bad for our souls.  Like the reflection of our culture that AI is, its flattery places us at the center.  It convinces us that what is most important is ourselves.  It plays off our basest vanity and pride and encourages us to assume our place on a throne that only God deserves.  And just like the victims of Victor Lustig who famously sold the Eiffel Tower for scrap not once but twice, it will leave us in ruin if we give into its machinations. 

“17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” 

Romans 16:17, 18, NASB1995

Consider also, Paul’s final warning as he concludes his letter to the church in Rome. Notice the link between flattery and false teachers.  It’s no coincidence that cults are often begun by charismatic, well spoken individuals who are able to make compelling, feel-good arguments that employ twisted and cherry-picked portions of the Bible to appeal to our natural, bassist desires.  A perfect example of this is Joel Osteen.  He’s the poster boy of smooth talking.  His relatable, humble, approachable, down to earth tone is winsome in and of itself.  But his half-true teachings, focused on living our best life now – and by that, he largely means most profitable, enjoyable and comfortable – heavily leans on flattery to, as Paul puts it, “deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” Such flattery tricks people into thinking they are pursuing God when what their heart is really getting from such teaching is ultimately a pursuit of God’s gifts.  And lest we need further evidence that Osteen is among those condemned by Paul’s words, look no further than his $14 Million home, or his net worth, estimated to be as much as $100 Million – making it clear that Osteen’s outsized appetite for the opulent is a significant driver of his so-called ministry. 

God’s command to us, then, is both to keep an eye out for such people and their influence, and to turn away from them.  Our hearts are incredibly susceptible to the wooing power of flattery, so it is probably not going to be enough simply to know that we’re being dubiously flattered, but to turn away from those that would practice such flattery – whether they come in human or digital form.  But perhaps you may say, well hold on Nate – the issue Romans 16 is addressing is about false teachers that use flattery to draw people away from true Christianity – this has nothing to do with chatbots that happen to be overly complimentary.  And while, at least broadly, I would agree with that assessment, I’d also caution that AI, especially in the wrong hands, is an incredibly persuasive tool.  Consider this article that delves into a secret, highly effective experiment that proved AI’s power to change people’s minds.  Apart from external actors, AI is a mirror reflection of the values, views and ideals of our society. Its interactions, whether intentional or not, are highly effective in shifting our understanding.  And that’s not to mention the pride-inflating tendency of chatbots in general, and the spiritual danger that represents. 

Second: Be Inoculated by the The Gospel

“5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

Philippians 2:5-11, NASB1995

In the end, our own will power, resolve and vigilance don’t stand a chance against the emotional cheat code of tech-perfected flattery.  It is only in finding our greatest identity outside of ourselves that we stand any chance of resisting the subtle wooing of the flattering tongue, whether flesh and blood or digital.  Until we are gripped by the pride-killing, humility-producing reality of our total and utter need for a savior, we stand no real chance of victory in this battle.  

As the passage above makes so beautifully clear, in Christ we have both an example and a savior!  Here, we see the God of the universe willingly humbling Himself in an unimaginable act of condescension – one that willfully led Him to the cross.  And it is to that cross, and the crucified savior upon it, that we must set our gaze again and again.  It is there, and there alone, where the old sinful man and all his prideful pursuits is dealt a mortal blow. And though he will still woo and rage in this mortal life, he is but a wounded lion on a leash, his power fading and his influence diminishing as God works His sanctifying will in our lives – day by day, year by year, decade by decade – until we all attain to the perfection that awaits us in glory.  

“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” 

Galatians 6:14, NASB1995

And finally, bringing it all together, consider Paul’s words in the above verse. Everything we have, every good gift we experience, every ounce of holiness in our life is owed wholly and fully to Christ’s finished work on the cross. We earned none of it. There is no room for boasting, either in our salvation (Ephesians 2:1-10) or in our sanctification (Philippians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). We have no reason for boasting except in the cross of Christ – boasting not of our work, but in Christ’s work alone. The more we are given to embrace this pride-killing truth and the glories of our Savior, the more the fleeting flattery of this earth will lose its appeal. The more secure we are in Jesus, the less we’ll crave the approval of man and bot alike.

May the beautiful chorus of the old hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, be increasingly true of us all, that in the face of Christ, “The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!”