Definition
Plain language
The tendency of a model to pick the blandest, least-arguable answer rather than the most common one.
As stated in the literature
Coined term for the observed bias where models systematically avoid answers carrying any homonym, taxonomic ambiguity, or connotation, converging on the option with the fewest semantic 'edges'.
Why it matters: It explains why models can feel blandly predictable, steering away from words with any hint of ambiguity or connotation instead of picking the answer people actually give most.
For example, asked for a color, a model in frictionless mode might reach for a plain "blue" while avoiding "orange" because that word also names a fruit.
Heard on the show
“" He calls it the frictionless mode.”Episode 219 — Forty-Four AI Models, One Word, And The Newest Ones Conform Most