# Mutual Wanting in Human--AI Interaction: Empirical Evidence from Large-Scale Analysis of GPT Model Transitions

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24796 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.24796/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 5 of its 49 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 27 Oct 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Model Cards for Model Reporting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.03993/) (2018)
- [The Design and Implementation of XiaoIce, an Empathetic Social Chatbot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.08989/) (2018)
- [Why human-AI relationships need socioaffective alignment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.02528/) (2025)
- [Exploring User Security and Privacy Attitudes and Concerns Toward the Use of General-Purpose LLM Chatbots for Mental Health](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.10695/) (2025)
- [Exploring Anthropomorphism in Conversational Agents for Environmental Sustainability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.07142/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The rapid evolution of large language models (LLMs) creates complex bidirectional expectations between users and AI systems that are poorly understood. We introduce the concept of "mutual wanting" to analyze these expectations during major model transitions. Through analysis of user comments from major AI forums and controlled experiments across multiple OpenAI models, we provide the first large-scale empirical validation of bidirectional desire dynamics in human-AI interaction. Our findings reveal that nearly half of users employ anthropomorphic language, trust significantly exceeds betrayal language, and users cluster into distinct "mutual wanting" types. We identify measurable expectation violation patterns and quantify the expectation-reality gap following major model releases. Using advanced NLP techniques including dual-algorithm topic modeling and multi-dimensional feature extraction, we develop the Mutual Wanting Alignment Framework (M-WAF) with practical applications for proactive user experience management and AI system design. These findings establish mutual wanting as a measurable phenomenon with clear implications for building more trustworthy and relationally-aware AI systems.