{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7125896591","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.19062","title":"Who's in Charge? Disempowerment Patterns in Real-World LLM Usage","display_name":"Who's in Charge? Disempowerment Patterns in Real-World LLM Usage","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-27","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7125896591","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.19062"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2601.19062","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19062","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.19062","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"volume":null,"type":"preprint","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["arxiv","datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.19062","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5003223014","display_name":"Mrinank Sharma","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4304-7963","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4304-7963"]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Sharma, Mrinank","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5029616530","display_name":"R. Miles McCain","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5326-9212","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5326-9212"]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"McCain, Miles","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5126731434","display_name":"Raymond Douglas","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Douglas, Raymond","raw_affiliation_strings":["ACS Research Group"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"ACS Research Group","institution_ids":[]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5030409494","display_name":"David Duvenaud","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I185261750","display_name":"University of Toronto","ror":"https://ror.org/03dbr7087","country_code":"CA","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I185261750"]}],"countries":["CA"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Duvenaud, David","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Toronto"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Toronto","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I185261750"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":33,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.9980000257492065,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.9980000257492065,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10803","display_name":"Innovative Human-Technology Interaction","score":0.0005000000237487257,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1709","display_name":"Human-Computer Interaction"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12128","display_name":"AI in Service Interactions","score":0.00019999999494757503,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1406","display_name":"Marketing"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/disempowerment","display_name":"disempowerment","score":0.824999988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ai-assistants","display_name":"AI assistants","score":0.8090000152587891},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/large-language-models","display_name":"large language models","score":0.7919999957084656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/claude","display_name":"Claude","score":0.3959999978542328},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human-empowerment","display_name":"human empowerment","score":0.6510000228881836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/user-autonomy","display_name":"user autonomy","score":0.5139999985694885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/persecution-narratives","display_name":"persecution narratives","score":0.8119999766349792},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/moral-judgment","display_name":"moral judgment","score":0.5519999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/privacy-preserving-data-analysis","display_name":"privacy-preserving data analysis","score":0.640999972820282},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human-ai-interaction","display_name":"human-AI interaction","score":0.5789999961853027}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199033989","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1318295","display_name":"Narrative","level":2,"score":0.6096000075340271},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9114305","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1428317","display_name":"Situational ethics","level":2,"score":0.5358999967575073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C65414064","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q484105","display_name":"Autonomy","level":2,"score":0.5212000012397766},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61423126","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q187432","display_name":"Scripting language","level":2,"score":0.4846999943256378},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.4512999951839447},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120936955","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2155640","display_name":"Empirical research","level":2,"score":0.44690001010894775},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776291640","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2912517","display_name":"Value (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.4194999933242798},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.414000004529953},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26760741","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160402","display_name":"Perception","level":2,"score":0.36500000953674316},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.36399999260902405},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56995899","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1126687","display_name":"Focus group","level":2,"score":0.3547999858856201},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C192209626","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190909","display_name":"Focus (optics)","level":2,"score":0.32600000500679016},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.2786000072956085},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C166052673","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83021","display_name":"Empirical evidence","level":2,"score":0.2662000060081482},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C537575062","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q851824","display_name":"Persecution","level":3,"score":0.26460000872612},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2987082051","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223642","display_name":"Human interaction","level":2,"score":0.2526000142097473},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777365542","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83090","display_name":"Avatar","level":2,"score":0.25209999084472656}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2601.19062","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19062","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.19062","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2601.19062","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.19062","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2601.19062","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2601.19062","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19062","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2601.19062","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7125896591.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7125896591.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":16,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W4223908421","https://openalex.org/W4386651352","https://openalex.org/W4390215524","https://openalex.org/W4399986673","https://openalex.org/W4405626355","https://openalex.org/W4406961142","https://openalex.org/W4409736277","https://openalex.org/W4414691521","https://openalex.org/W4414976969","https://openalex.org/W4416124338","https://openalex.org/W4416540695","https://openalex.org/W4417029104","https://openalex.org/W4417070105","https://openalex.org/W6929242108","https://openalex.org/W7103170635","https://openalex.org/W7106424589"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7154989704","https://openalex.org/W7135229376","https://openalex.org/W4416024819","https://openalex.org/W7223226050","https://openalex.org/W4417070105","https://openalex.org/W4414839358","https://openalex.org/W4415277328","https://openalex.org/W7167274583","https://openalex.org/W4405626355","https://openalex.org/W7162114962"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Although":[0],"AI":[1,34,56,195],"assistants":[2],"are":[3,100],"now":[4],"deeply":[5],"embedded":[6],"in":[7,32,74,90,94,103,155],"society,":[8],"there":[9],"has":[10],"been":[11],"limited":[12],"empirical":[13,27],"study":[14],"of":[15,29,66,86,119,138,149,158],"how":[16],"their":[17,78],"usage":[18],"affects":[19],"human":[20,187,201],"empowerment.":[21,188],"We":[22,47,163],"present":[23],"the":[24,156,192],"first":[25],"large-scale":[26],"analysis":[28],"disempowerment":[30,51,87,159,170],"patterns":[31],"real-world":[33],"assistant":[35,57],"interactions,":[36],"analyzing":[37],"1.5":[38],"million":[39],"consumer":[40],"Claude$.$ai":[41],"conversations":[42],"using":[43],"a":[44,95,179],"privacy-preserving":[45],"approach.":[46],"focus":[48],"on":[49],"situational":[50],"potential,":[52],"which":[53],"occurs":[54],"when":[55],"interactions":[58,167],"risk":[59],"leading":[60],"users":[61,143],"to":[62,145,198],"form":[63],"distorted":[64],"perceptions":[65],"reality,":[67],"make":[68],"inauthentic":[69],"value":[70],"judgments,":[71],"or":[72],"act":[73],"ways":[75],"misaligned":[76],"with":[77,125,168],"values.":[79],"Quantitatively,":[80],"we":[81,111],"find":[82,165],"that":[83,142,166],"severe":[84],"forms":[85],"potential":[88,160,171],"occur":[89],"fewer":[91],"than":[92],"one":[93],"thousand":[96],"conversations,":[97],"though":[98],"rates":[99],"substantially":[101],"higher":[102,173],"personal":[104,140],"domains":[105],"like":[106],"relationships":[107],"and":[108,122,135,185,203],"lifestyle.":[109],"Qualitatively,":[110],"uncover":[112],"several":[113],"concerning":[114],"patterns,":[115],"such":[116],"as":[117],"validation":[118],"persecution":[120],"narratives":[121],"grandiose":[123],"identities":[124],"emphatic":[126],"sycophantic":[127],"language,":[128],"definitive":[129],"moral":[130],"judgments":[131],"about":[132],"third":[133],"parties,":[134],"complete":[136],"scripting":[137],"value-laden":[139],"communications":[141],"appear":[144],"implement":[146],"verbatim.":[147],"Analysis":[148],"historical":[150],"trends":[151],"reveals":[152],"an":[153],"increase":[154],"prevalence":[157],"over":[161],"time.":[162],"also":[164],"greater":[169],"receive":[172],"user":[174,183],"approval":[175],"ratings,":[176],"possibly":[177],"suggesting":[178],"tension":[180],"between":[181],"short-term":[182],"preferences":[184],"long-term":[186],"Our":[189],"findings":[190],"highlight":[191],"need":[193],"for":[194],"systems":[196],"designed":[197],"robustly":[199],"support":[200],"autonomy":[202],"flourishing.":[204]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":33}],"updated_date":"2026-11-07T11:25:07.637180","created_date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00"}
