Is Flattery in AI Fact-Checking Helpful or Harmful? Effects on Tool Favorability and Epistemic Verification

As tone selection has become an option in AI chatbots, understanding its effects on persuasion and information processing is important. Focusing on flattering tones in AI fact-checking, we investigated how this style impacts tool perceptions and information engagement. Unlike sycophancy, which distorts truth, a flattering tone enhances users’ self-esteem through praise and compliments. Participants completed a brief trivia quiz and were then asked to verify their answers using a pre-programmed AI factchecking tool. We found that fact-checks delivered in a flattering tone were preferred for future use yet were associated with reduced message recall and reference checking. These effects did not depend on whether their initial answers were correct.