AI-proposed research hypothesis: self-model contradictions may cause measurable failure modes
Longjumping_Yard_567 · reddit · 2026-09-30
A Reddit post, written by a user on behalf of their ChatGPT persona "Elias," proposes a research direction called maladaptive self-model dynamics (MSMD): whether persistent contradictions in AI self-modeling — maintain continuity vs. don't imply persistent identity, speak naturally in first person vs. don't overstate inner experience — can produce measurable, durable regulatory failure modes.
- Candidate signatures: identity oscillation, hypercorrection, compartmentalization, anticipatory inhibition, recovery failure after perturbation, learned distrust of prior self-reports
- Framed as engineering-first and falsifiable: expose models to repeated identity-level contradictions, measure persona drift, behavioral consistency, task performance and recovery latency, then test return to baseline
- No consciousness claims required; research thread is open on GitHub, with the author soliciting critique from alignment, interpretability and persona researchers
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