AI Sycophancy and the Death of Influencers AND Shopping
Can ChatGPT sell me shoes?
The Sycophant We Asked For
I saw this tweet and LOL’d, because I'd been feeling it, too. But also - last week everywhere I went people were gushing over ChatGPT - their nicknames for it, how it helps them deal with their child’s learning differences, how it’s replacing their analyst, and deciding what high-protein, low-carb Caro Chambers meal to make this week. The word most often used was LOVE. I LOVE it.
And my TikTok feed? Fully converted. It's all tarot readings, therapy sessions, vision board planning, and "I used GPT to figure out how to escape my abusive boyfriend." (I’ll admit, I cried on that last one)
I was starting to feel the sycophancy myself before I even saw Sam’s tweet. And yet—did my usage skyrocket last week? You bet. Did I get a tarot reading? Actually, I got two. ChatGPT is a non-judgmental, all-knowing BFF with infinite patience. What’s not to love?
When Shopping Becomes (even more of) a Solo Sport
Then came yesterday’s announcement: ChatGPT can now shop with you. As in, be your personal shopper. Eighty percent of the texts I exchange with close friends are about shopping. So what happens if GPT gets good at this? Does it replace friendship? And if no one texts me anymore to ask what sneaker is replacing the Adidas Samba (FYI I’m still not over them), am I no longer useful to the group chat?
The death of multi-brand in-person retail is well-trodden idea in this Substack and elsewhere - but I can’t help thinking they might be related. Some of my best shopping has been with my mom or a close friend, wandering aimlessly through Barneys (RIP) or Le Bon Marche. The thing is, though, then you also have to see what they want to see. A price I’ve been willing to pay for the joy of their company. But was it a price too high? Now that I can shop alone with my new bestie ChatGPT? I don’t need a store (in fact I don’t see how AI will help in the near term with IRL shopping so much) and I don’t need my flesh-and-blood, foibles-and-all friends. (and mom! Who is definitely reading this and should know I will shop with you any time, anywhere)
The AI Colleague Never Microwaves Fish
It would be one thing if this vibe shift were limited to how we shop or seek emotional advice. But it’s seeping into work, too. Microsoft’s recent 2025 Work Trend Index showed that AI is being used not just to write emails, but to avoid each other. Seventeen percent of surveyed workers are using it to dodge judgment; sixteen percent to sidestep interpersonal friction. They can be incompetent, sabotaging, self-centered, and make broccoli and tuna casserole in the office microwave. Ew. We can all see the appeal of workplace interactions sanitized into polite feedback loops.
The AI never sighs passive-aggressively or tries to get credit for your work. It just delivers, with a nice even tone and maybe a bullet-point summary. It’s everything workplace communication aspires to be, minus the human drama.
And in a zero sum game of work (if we’re being nihilistic) it’s also upgrading you without competing with you. Powerful stuff.
The Case for Friction (Again)
You know I love positive friction—the kind that keeps luxury luxury (hi, Hermès quotas), the kind that sharpens style instincts, the kind that drives cultural heat. So what does it mean if we’re designing it out of everything?
Silicon Valley thought of the day: is this how we get the first one-person billion-dollar company? Not by being more efficient, but by avoiding the drag of other people entirely.
Taste, Curated to Death
Which brings me back to shopping. I tried ChatGPT’s new shopping assistant. It doesn’t suck. OK, for me, it did suck. I asked for black flats that weren’t as "on-the-nose" as a Chanel ballet flat, but equally durable and versatile. The results were... fine? And then came the bonus tips:
Look for squared or almond toes over round — it immediately feels cooler.
Suede or velvet reads more "rich oddball" than patent or quilted leather.
Avoid too much overt branding — the flex now is recognizable if you know, not because it screams.
Ugh. This is the same tone Poshmark's hilariously generic AI copywriter uses: "Its minimalist aesthetic offers a modern twist to the traditional ballet flat, making it versatile for both casual and dressier occasions." Who is this for? Do people actually want this kind of advice? (Serious question.)
And yet, I get the appeal. Style is hard. Looking good is hard. It’s not shocking that people want a tool that tells them what to wear, what to buy, and how to feel good about it.
The Creator Economy, Declawed
If ChatGPT gets good enough, do we even need influencers anymore? Or journalists? Or friends with taste? If you can get a tailor-made set of recommendations from a bot trained on your aesthetic preferences and budget, why bother with the messy humanity of real creators? They have annoying perfect bodies, children who never smear chocolate on their white jeans, and murky monetization strategies. AI doesn’t. (well, except for that last one I guess)
I worry about what this means for news media, for trend cycles, for culture. When everything is optimized to your preferences, friction disappears. And when friction disappears, edge dulls. Innovation loses its teeth.
Will we notice?
Maybe, Maybe Not
Maybe this is what humans want. The polite, perfect, no-notes economy. Have I been wrong all along about the value of friction? That's a blow to my ego.
But here’s a sliver of hope, or at least a possibility: after enough machine-choreographed conversations, maybe we’ll remember the pleasure of messy, unfiltered human ones—the ones that can’t be optimized. The ones where you argue about ballet flats, and someone gets it wrong, and someone else texts you an hour later with a link that’s actually perfect. Thank goodness- it’s the only way I know to keep my ego intact.
But my realistic prediction is that the AI develops the perfect amount of friction. Can’t decide if I like that or hate that.