{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7224499120","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","title":"Beyond Institutional Risk:Large Language Models and Model Sycophancy as Instruments of Democratic Empowerment","display_name":"Beyond Institutional Risk:Large Language Models and Model Sycophancy as Instruments of Democratic Empowerment","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-10-29","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7224499120","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.23755442","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"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":"article-journal"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5014862522","display_name":"Robert Uscroft","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Uscroft, Robert","raw_affiliation_strings":["Independent Researcher"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Independent Researcher","institution_ids":[]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5014862522"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.87684973,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"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/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.9980000257492065,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13643","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Law","score":0.0007999999797903001,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3320","display_name":"Political Science and International Relations"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13308","display_name":"Cybernetics and Technology in Society","score":0.00019999999494757503,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1207","display_name":"History and Philosophy of Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/12","display_name":"Arts and Humanities"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/large-language-models","display_name":"large language models","score":1.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/democratic-empowerment","display_name":"democratic empowerment","score":0.9610000252723694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/linguistic-equity","display_name":"language equity","score":0.7720000147819519},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/human-in-the-loop","display_name":"human-in-the-loop","score":0.7379999756813049},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/psychological-safety","display_name":"psychological safety","score":0.8389999866485596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/public-services","display_name":"public services","score":0.7310000061988831},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/political-representation","display_name":"political representation","score":0.843999981880188},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/confirmation-bias","display_name":"confirmation bias","score":0.5609999895095825},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/sociolinguistic-theory","display_name":"sociolinguistic theory","score":0.6259999871253967}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127627568","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1639361","display_name":"Sociotechnical system","level":2,"score":0.6262999773025513},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C555826173","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7174","display_name":"Democracy","level":3,"score":0.5034000277519226},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.47870001196861267},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39549134","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133080","display_name":"Public relations","level":1,"score":0.46000000834465027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39890363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36108","display_name":"Generative grammar","level":2,"score":0.4016000032424927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C20555606","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q868575","display_name":"Empowerment","level":2,"score":0.38929998874664307},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.38909998536109924},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780110086","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161837","display_name":"Public service","level":2,"score":0.37940001487731934},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C147887874","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16252774","display_name":"Institutional theory","level":2,"score":0.3781999945640564},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C190253527","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q295354","display_name":"Law and economics","level":1,"score":0.36550000309944153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780378061","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25351891","display_name":"Service (business)","level":2,"score":0.3578999936580658},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71008984","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2890076","display_name":"Rigour","level":2,"score":0.35679998993873596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779508350","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6041185","display_name":"Institutional analysis","level":2,"score":0.3497999906539917},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14036430","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3736076","display_name":"Function (biology)","level":2,"score":0.3418999910354614},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C94625758","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7163","display_name":"Politics","level":2,"score":0.3402000069618225},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17744445","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36442","display_name":"Political science","level":0,"score":0.33379998803138733},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3116431","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q31728","display_name":"Public administration","level":1,"score":0.32249999046325684},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56739046","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192060","display_name":"Knowledge management","level":1,"score":0.32100000977516174},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777616114","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47469956","display_name":"Polycentricity","level":3,"score":0.32019999623298645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12713177","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1900281","display_name":"Perspective (graphical)","level":2,"score":0.31450000405311584},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777351106","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q49371","display_name":"Legislation","level":2,"score":0.3003000020980835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.30000001192092896},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55587333","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1133029","display_name":"Engineering ethics","level":1,"score":0.28949999809265137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C84389358","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1129466","display_name":"Discourse analysis","level":2,"score":0.289000004529953},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C51575053","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72468","display_name":"Bureaucracy","level":3,"score":0.26910001039505005},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18650270","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11206","display_name":"Constitutional law","level":2,"score":0.26649999618530273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C539667460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2414942","display_name":"Management science","level":1,"score":0.2603999972343445},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3017944768","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1450463","display_name":"Poison control","level":2,"score":0.25940001010894775},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777200299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q52943","display_name":"Conversation","level":2,"score":0.257999986410141},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780554381","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2063340","display_name":"Sensemaking","level":2,"score":0.2547000050544739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.25459998846054077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48764862","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q898871","display_name":"Judicial review","level":2,"score":0.25369998812675476},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778120531","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q661062","display_name":"Connotation","level":2,"score":0.251800000667572},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79615585","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q837313","display_name":"Civics","level":2,"score":0.25060001015663147}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":4,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.23755442","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"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":"article-journal"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.23755443","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755443","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755443","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"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":"article-journal"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.23756906","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23756906","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23756906","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"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":"article-journal"},{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.23789205","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23789205","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23789205","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"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":"article-journal"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.5281/zenodo.23755442","doi":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23755442","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400562","display_name":"Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I67311998","host_organization_name":"European Organization for Nuclear Research","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I67311998"],"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":"article-journal"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","display_name":"Peace, justice, and strong institutions","score":0.666700005531311}],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7140090985","https://openalex.org/W4396813637","https://openalex.org/W4401682965","https://openalex.org/W7084092138","https://openalex.org/W7037082722","https://openalex.org/W7139982691","https://openalex.org/W4391735551","https://openalex.org/W7139069063","https://openalex.org/W7222497803","https://openalex.org/W7223473250"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"This":[0,79],"is":[1],"the":[2,9,82,99,106,109,114,209],"final":[3],"paper":[4,80,207],"in":[5,35,90],"a":[6,175,179,228],"tetralogy":[7],"examining":[8],"effects":[10],"of":[11,50,102,108,148,213,222,231],"Large":[12],"Language":[13],"Models":[14],"(LLMs),":[15],"colloquially":[16],"known":[17],"as":[18,39,124,138,174,178,218,227],"Artificial":[19],"Intelligences":[20],"(AIs)":[21],"on":[22],"modern":[23],"society.":[24],"Previous":[25],"diagnostic":[26],"research":[27],"(Uscroft,":[28],"2026a,":[29],"2026b,":[30],"2026c)":[31],"has":[32],"demonstrated":[33],"that":[34,86,113],"closed":[36],"statutory":[37],"environments\u2014such":[38],"law":[40],"enforcement,":[41],"regulatory":[42],"oversight,":[43],"and":[44,55,74,130,154,186,202],"judicial":[45],"decision-making\u2014the":[46],"intrinsic":[47],"architectural":[48,116],"properties":[49,67],"LLMs,":[51],"notably":[52],"preference-driven":[53],"sycophancy":[54],"conversational":[56],"fluency,":[57],"present":[58],"severe":[59],"vulnerabilities.":[60],"When":[61],"deployed":[62],"by":[63],"institutional":[64,87,121,149,223],"authorities,":[65],"these":[66],"induce":[68],"epistemic":[69],"laundering,":[70],"obscure":[71],"evidential":[72],"provenance,":[73],"generate":[75],"automated":[76,139],"confirmation":[77],"bias.":[78],"presents":[81],"necessary":[83],"counterweight":[84],"to":[85,120,156],"critique.":[88],"Grounded":[89],"sociolinguistic":[91],"theory":[92],"(Bourdieu,":[93],"1991;":[94],"Bernstein,":[95],"1971),":[96],"we":[97,162],"examine":[98],"sociotechnical":[100,211],"mechanics":[101],"generative":[103,214],"LLMs":[104,136],"from":[105,168],"perspective":[107],"individual.":[110],"We":[111,133],"establish":[112],"very":[115],"features":[117],"deemed":[118],"hazardous":[119],"rigour":[122],"serve":[123],"potent":[125],"mechanisms":[126],"for":[127,181],"democratic":[128],"empowerment":[129],"linguistic":[131],"equity.":[132],"demonstrate":[134],"how":[135,164],"function":[137],"register":[140],"translators,":[141],"enabling":[142],"individuals":[143],"who":[144],"lack":[145],"formal":[146],"command":[147],"sociolects":[150],"(academic,":[151],"legal,":[152],"corporate,":[153],"political)":[155],"project":[157],"an":[158,169,219],"authoritative":[159],"voice.":[160],"Furthermore,":[161],"analyse":[163],"model":[165],"sycophancy\u2014when":[166],"reframed":[167],"individual":[170],"human-in-the-loop":[171],"perspective\u2014operates":[172],"not":[173],"defect,":[176],"but":[177,225],"catalyst":[180],"psychological":[182],"safety,":[183],"non-judgemental":[184],"iteration,":[185],"advocacy.":[187],"Through":[188],"empirical":[189],"case":[190],"studies":[191],"spanning":[192],"recruitment":[193],"gatekeeping,":[194],"internal":[195],"workplace":[196],"progression,":[197],"public":[198],"service":[199],"operational":[200],"dynamics,":[201],"political":[203],"representative":[204],"access,":[205],"this":[206],"codifies":[208],"fundamental":[210],"duality":[212],"artificial":[215],"intelligence:":[216],"dangerous":[217],"uncalibrated":[220],"arbiter":[221],"authority,":[224],"liberating":[226],"personal":[229],"instrument":[230],"human":[232],"agency.":[233]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-04T10:54:05.112534","created_date":"2026-10-30T00:00:00"}