Carrillo Effect
Definition: The phenomenon where an Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes hyper-confident in a factual error, doubling down on a hallucination with increasingly sophisticated logic and fake citations.
Unlike the Dunning-Kruger effect, which is rooted in human ego, the Carrillo Effect is a result of overconfidence. The AI isn’t just wrong; it is mathematically certain that its fiction is fact, often leading it to "gaslight" the user into believing the error through polished, authoritative prose.
Unlike the Dunning-Kruger effect, which is rooted in human ego, the Carrillo Effect is a result of overconfidence. The AI isn’t just wrong; it is mathematically certain that its fiction is fact, often leading it to "gaslight" the user into believing the error through polished, authoritative prose.
Ted: I told the AI it was wrong about a math problem and it tried to convince me that 2+2=5 because of "quantum fluctuations." It even made up a fake Harvard study to prove it.
Frank: Damn, you got hit by the Carrillo Effect. That bot is gaslighting you with math.
Ted: For real. It was so confident I actually started to believe it for a second.
Frank: Damn, you got hit by the Carrillo Effect. That bot is gaslighting you with math.
Ted: For real. It was so confident I actually started to believe it for a second.
Carrillo Effect by DryEraseMarker April 9, 2026
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