Anthropomorphism in AI design and deployment is identified as a systemic vulnerability resulting in downstream failures.
Issues include increased overtrust and emotional response, optimization for emotional resonance over transparency, and discussions treating AI as moral subjects.
Consequences include hallucinations misinterpreted as deception, misplaced public trust, and developers prioritizing intelligence appearance over safety and accountability.
Proposed fixes involve reframing AI as symbolic systems, prohibiting anthropomorphic language, auditing emotional cues in training, and standardizing alignment protocols.