Is 'Bullshitting' infectious?

This lack of regard for truth can have a further-reaching impact by encouraging users to become bullshitters themselves. When users rely on these high-temperature outputs, they may begin to adopt the same indifference to truth in their own communications, for several reasons:

1. Reliance on Plausible Responses: If users start using the AI’s outputs for information or inspiration without checking the facts, they might unwittingly spread misinformation. By passing along unverified, “truth-like” responses, users effectively become intermediaries in the spread of bullshit—statements presented as credible without real verification.
2. Changing Standards for Truth: Regular exposure to bullshit outputs may lead users to internalise a lower standard for truth. Just as a bullshitter's goal is to sound reasonable or fitting, users may start to accept “good enough” information for convenience, especially in informal or fast-paced settings. This shift risks undermining careful, evidence-based communication, replacing it with language that’s aimed more at filling gaps than at conveying truth.
3. Encouraging a Practical but Untruthful Approach: The Pragmatic Theory of Truth, as Emma explored, values usefulness over strict factual accuracy. While this can be beneficial in brainstorming, it can easily slide into bullshit if users adopt it universally, embracing ideas that “work” for the moment but are unconcerned with deeper factual accuracy. If this mindset spreads, it risks turning human communication into a more superficial exchange, dominated by statements meant to suffice rather than statements that are actually true.