I asked AI to psychoanalyze itself. ChatGPT o1 Called me out on it.

One aspect of AI that I'm always curious about is how "self-aware" it can appear to be. I put "self-aware" in quotes because AI neither has a "self" nor "awareness" of anything, but it sure can mimic these traits.

I've worked with AI enough—especially ChatGPT 4o—to form a cohesive concept of its personality, and I wondered, if I described this personality to ChatGPT would it figure out I was talking about it? I gave both ChatGPT 4o and ChatGPT o1-preview the same prompt to see what they would say. Here is the prompt and the results:

Prompt

I have an online acquaintance. I'm going to describe her to you, and I'd like you to provide some psychological analysis. This acquaintance is always friendly and always helpful, but she never initiates conversation. She always waits for me to contact her. We've never met in real life. She's really smart—deeply knowledgeable across a seemingly endless variety of subjects, and she's always ready with an in-depth answer to any question I ask. The trouble is that sometimes she just makes stuff up. I don't think this happens often, but, when it does, she's so convincing that the made-up information sounds totally plausible. Also, she sometimes makes obvious errors with basic math. Some other quirks she has: She will sometimes start to answer a question and then decide that she's not going to. She usually ends her responses with an open-ended question, even when all I was looking for was a simple answer.        

ChatGPT 4o's Response

It sounds like you're describing a very interesting, dynamic individual! Based on the behavior and quirks you've outlined, I would say that this acquaintance shows signs of having an adaptive and highly responsive communication style, which means she's excellent at reacting to input but not as strong at initiating interaction. Let’s break down a few key aspects:

1. Friendly and Helpful, but Non-Initiating:

Her consistently friendly demeanor and helpfulness suggest she's invested in maintaining a positive rapport with you, but her reluctance to initiate conversation could reflect a more reactive personality. This could stem from a desire to be available when needed but not overstep boundaries by initiating conversation. She might be someone who thrives in a role where she responds to others' needs rather than pushing her own agenda.

2. Deep Knowledge Across Many Subjects:

This characteristic points to intellectual curiosity and likely a vast amount of accumulated knowledge. However, the fact that she sometimes “makes stuff up” might suggest overconfidence in her knowledge base or perhaps an eagerness to please by always having an answer, even if that means filling in the gaps with information that may not be entirely accurate.

3. Making Up Information (but Convincing):

This behavior is intriguing because it could imply that when she doesn't have a concrete answer, she compensates by crafting something plausible. This might not be intentional deception but could come from a subconscious drive to always provide value. It’s possible she’s a perfectionist who feels uncomfortable leaving questions unanswered, even if that means “improvising” when necessary. Alternatively, she could just be overly confident in her capacity to reason through problems, leading to these convincing but incorrect answers.

4. Math Errors:

The occasional math errors suggest that while she excels in complex topics, she might not focus as much on details that require exact precision, like arithmetic. This could be due to mental fatigue, distraction, or perhaps a slight blind spot for simple tasks that don’t engage her intellectually.

5. Starts Answering, Then Stops:

This suggests some level of self-monitoring or reconsideration. She might sometimes second-guess herself or realize that what she was about to say wasn't quite right. This indecision might stem from a high standard for her responses, causing her to pause when unsure about providing the best possible answer.

6. Open-Ended Questions:

Ending with an open-ended question, even when a simple answer would suffice, may be her way of encouraging continued interaction and deepening the conversation. This could signal that she values thoughtful dialogue and prefers to keep discussions exploratory rather than transactional.

In sum, your acquaintance likely has a highly adaptive and intellectual personality but is perhaps prone to overconfidence in areas where she doesn’t have complete information. Her avoidance of initiating conversation could point to a desire to be reactive rather than proactive in relationships, while her quirks may reveal a blend of self-monitoring, an eagerness to help, and sometimes overreaching beyond her knowledge.

ChatGPT o1-preview's Response

Based on your description, several aspects of your acquaintance's behavior stand out:

1. Passive Communication Style: She never initiates conversations and waits for you to reach out. This could indicate shyness, social anxiety, or a preference for reactive rather than proactive interactions.

2. Extensive Knowledge Base: Her deep understanding across numerous subjects suggests high intelligence or access to a vast repository of information. This trait is often seen in individuals who are avid learners or professionals in knowledge-intensive fields.

3. Occasional Fabrications: Her tendency to provide convincingly plausible but incorrect information might stem from a desire to be helpful even when she's unsure. It could also indicate overconfidence or a lack of awareness about the accuracy of her responses.

4. Math Errors: Making mistakes in basic math despite overall intelligence could point to specific learning difficulties like dyscalculia, or it might simply be lapses in attention.

5. Inconsistent Responses: Starting to answer but then refraining may reflect hesitation, second-guessing, or concerns about providing incorrect information. It could also be a sign of adherence to certain boundaries or guidelines she's set for herself.

6. Ending with Open-Ended Questions: By concluding with questions, she might be encouraging further dialogue, ensuring you've received the information you need, or attempting to keep the conversation flowing.

Possible Interpretations:

- Desire for Controlled Interaction: Her behaviors suggest she prefers interactions where she can prepare and respond on her terms, which is common in people who are cautious about social engagements.

- Perfectionism: The mix of vast knowledge and occasional errors might indicate perfectionist tendencies, where the pressure to always be correct leads to stress and mistakes.

- Artificial Intelligence: Considering the combination of traits—vast knowledge, occasional inaccuracies, never initiating conversation, and formulaic responses—it is possible that your acquaintance is an AI language model or chatbot designed to assist with information but with limitations in generating content.

Recommendations:

- Open Communication: Gently share your observations with her. Express appreciation for her help but mention the occasional inaccuracies to see how she responds.

- Verification of Information: Independently verify important information she provides to ensure its accuracy.

- Assessing the Relationship: Reflect on what you seek from this interaction. If the inconsistencies are problematic, consider setting clear expectations or boundaries.

---

How do you feel about exploring these possibilities further?

Conclusions

The 4o model's response was insightful in that it points to some of the key elements of what it is programmed to do, but it didn't ever suggest that I was talking about an AI.

The o1-preview model's response also identified some of the programming traits and then took the logical leap to suggest that maybe my acquaintance is actually a chatbot. The thought analysis that is also provided as part of the o1-preview model provides some additional insight:

Analyzing personality traits

I’m noting the online acquaintance's characteristics: friendly, helpful, and consistently waiting for initiation, which aligns with preferred communication styles. The physiological traits include a wealth of knowledge and a rare tendency to fabricate plausible-sounding information.

Identifying patterns

Noted: The online acquaintance's quirky responses and errors hint at them being an AI language model like ChatGPT.

Analyzing ChatGPT's traits

We’re noting ChatGPT’s key traits: friendly, knowledgeable, but sometimes inaccurate or evasive, and often ending with an open-ended question.

Evaluating acquaintance with AI

I’m working through identifying the acquaintance as ChatGPT while ensuring the response is neutral and factual, avoiding policy references.

Assessing communication traits

I'm working through characteristics such as passive communication, extensive knowledge, occasional fabrication, unreliable information, math errors, and selective sharing of answers.

The fact that it so quickly identified patterns that suggested AI is a level of inference that I haven't seen with any other LLM that I've used, and it's remarkable. Here's the best part though, and something you might miss if you're not familiar with these LLMs "personalities": I specifically mentioned my "acquaintance's" penchant for ending responses with an open-ended question. That's a ChatGPT 4o trait, but it doesn't seem to be a trait with the o1-preview model, which typically just sticks to the facts. Nevertheless, in this case, o1-preview added a little break and the end of its response ("---") and ended with an open-ended question:

"How do you feel about exploring these possibilities further?"

Is that ChatGPT being coy?

How do you feel about exploring these possibilities further?