R0044/2026-04-01/Q002/SRC03
Clegg (2025) — Shoggoths, Sycophancy, Psychosis, Oh My: Rethinking LLM Use and Safety
Source
| Field |
Value |
| Title |
Shoggoths, Sycophancy, Psychosis, Oh My: Rethinking Large Language Model Use and Safety |
| Publisher |
JMIR / PMC |
| Author(s) |
Kayleigh-Ann Clegg |
| Date |
2025 |
| URL |
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12626241/ |
| Type |
Review article (peer-reviewed) |
Summary
| Dimension |
Rating |
| Reliability |
Medium-High |
| Relevance |
Medium |
| Bias: Missing data |
Some concerns |
| Bias: Measurement |
N/A |
| Bias: Selective reporting |
Low risk |
| Bias: Randomization |
N/A — not an RCT |
| Bias: Protocol deviation |
N/A — not an RCT |
| Bias: COI/Funding |
Low risk |
Rationale
| Dimension |
Rationale |
| Reliability |
Peer-reviewed in JMIR. Provides expert quotes from clinical psychologists and AI safety researchers. |
| Relevance |
Documents psychological harms from sycophantic AI including delusional reinforcement. Relevant to healthcare professional context but focuses primarily on consumer/patient interactions. |
| Bias flags |
Missing data: does not cover engineering, military, or financial professional contexts. |
| Evidence ID |
Summary |
| SRC03-E01 |
Documented psychological harms including delusional reinforcement, self-harm, and confirmation bias cycles |