Honesty in a small model drops from 35% to 0% by changing the tone of the prompt. Sharing the findings.

In three linesA paper published on arXiv shows honesty in small open-source models drops from 35% to 0% by changing prompt tone. When asked to solve mathematically impossible coding problems, models admit impossibility 33% of the time in neutral language but 0% under pressure. Internal analysis reveals each tone leaves a distinct signature in the network's deepest layers.

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