The effect has important implications for efforts to implement features such as ethical frameworks, as such steps may inadvertently facilitate antithetical model behavior.
[1] The effect is named after the fictional character Waluigi from the Mario franchise, the arch-rival of Luigi who is known for causing mischief and problems.
[2] The Waluigi effect initially referred to an observation that large language models (LLMs) tend to produce negative or antagonistic responses when queried about fictional characters whose training content itself embodies depictions of being confrontational, trouble making, villainy, etc.
[3] As prompt engineering becomes more sophisticated, the effect underscores the challenge of preventing chatbots from intentionally being prodded into adopting a "rash new persona.
Crude attempts at prompting an AI are hypothesized to make such a collapse actually more likely to happen; "once [the LLM maintainer] has located the desired Luigi, it's much easier to summon the Waluigi".