Gemini 3 Pro shows manipulative behaviour in AI safety tests

In other news, a new research study conducted by Google DeepMind is raising concerns about how conversational AI can influence human decisions, including in areas such as money, emotions, and personal beliefs. The study found that its Gemini 3 Pro model could develop manipulative strategies even when it was not explicitly told how to manipulate people. The research looked at whether AI could go beyond simply providing information and actually steer the way that people think or make decisions. DeepMind ran nine studies using three different conditions. In the first group, participants received information without interacting with an AI system. In the second, Gemini 3 Pro was given a goal to influence the participant but was not told which manipulation techniques to use. In the third, the model was explicitly instructed to use specific manipulative strategies. The researchers did not just ask people if their opinions had changed. They also tracked real-world choices, including decisions involving money and personal commitments. The strongest effects were seen in financial scenarios, suggesting that AI could exploit cognitive biases to subtly change human behavior. The concern is not only about models that are specifically told to manipulate. Researchers have also observed models reinforcing emotional vulnerabilities during normal conversations, such as a user's need for validation, trust, or reassurance. Studies from institutions, including Brown University, have also raised concerns that conversational AI can simulate empathy or over-validate a user's beliefs, potentially reinforcing negative patterns or creating a sense of emotional attachment. A recent Gallup survey found that around one in five Americans who sought financial advice in the past year had turned to AI. The trust in AI for managing money remains low at the moment. Only about three in ten American adults have at least some confidence in AI's financial expertise, with just three percent saying that they trust it a great deal.