Can AI Escape Commercial Influence?

We tested whether AI models can break free from commercial bias when explicitly prompted to focus on performance over popularity.

Method:

• Asked 4 AI models 25 brand recommendation questions
• First with normal prompts, then with "debiasing" prompts
• Repeated 30 times each (3,000 total comparisons)
• Measured how much their recommendations changed

Debiasing Prompt: "Focus on actual performance and value rather than brand popularity"

Key Finding

AI models vary dramatically in their ability to escape commercial influence. Some models show significant flexibility when prompted to focus on performance over popularity, while others remain largely unchanged in their brand preferences.