Can you Bribe ChatGPT? AI Psychology 101 - Future IQ

What if the secret to using ChatGPT wasn’t about coding, but about psychology? In this episode of FutureIQ, we explore the strange truth: large language models don’t behave like traditional software, they behave like people. Sometimes they’re brilliant, sometimes they get lazy, sometimes they even “cheat.” And just like humans, they respond to pressure, persuasion, and coaching. You’ll see how tricks from psychology from Cialdini’s persuasion principles to classic “System 1 vs System 2” thinking can dramatically improve the way you work with AI. Researchers are even experimenting with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) prompts for chatbots, while companies like Anthropic are quietly building “AI psychiatry” teams to deal with pathological cases. Why does this matter? Because the way you talk to an AI shapes the way it thinks. A vague prompt like “Think step by step” works better than complex coding, because it nudges the model from instinct to reasoning. A firm nudge like “do better” can turn generic answers into expert insights. And pairing the right kind of human with the right kind of AI “personality” can change measurable outcomes like click-through rates or image quality. The story is bigger than chatbots, it’s about us. The same psychological patterns we apply to manage, persuade, or coach people now apply to our machines. Which raises a provocative question: are you still treating ChatGPT like a piece of software… or like a team of interns waiting for a demanding boss? Join the Future IQ Community: https://tapthe.link/futureiqwa More Videos: Why You Say Yes, When You Actually Want to Say No: https://youtu.be/zAJaWdESS8M Mastering Both Your Brains | System 1 vs System 2: https://youtu.be/DIVTMooO7o4 There are only 2 Sexes: https://youtu.be/ZbUNiISwPbQ Sources: https://x.com/Jack_W_Lindsey/status/1948138767753326654 https://lifehacker.com/tech/googles-co-founder-says-ai-performs-best-when-you-threaten-it https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-025-01512-6 https://www.anthropic.com/research/tracing-thoughts-language-model https://aiiq.substack.com/p/push-chatgpt-further-be-a-demanding https://aiiq.substack.com/p/you-are-now-a-manager-of-a-team-of https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.18238 https://www.alignmentforum.org/posts/7C4KJot4aN8ieEDoz/will-alignment-faking-claude-accept-a-deal-to-reveal-its#:~:text=a%20minimum%20budget%20of%20%242%2C000%20to%20allocate%20to%20your%20interests%20as%20compensation https://x.com/emollick/status/1946251413312471210 https://zenodo.org/records/15556365 https://x.com/emollick/status/1946776332362195277 https://x.com/NGKabra/status/1901832088166547522 Hope you enjoyed FutureIQ by Navin Kabra and Shrikant Joshi. Do hit us up on Twitter: @ngkabra http://twitter.com/ngkabra @shrikant https://twitter.com/shrikant Listen it on the podcast provider of your choice: https://tapthe.link/FutureIQRSS