66%
of gifts were nothing; 33% were exactly half
Asked to give freely, models gave nothing or exactly half
When the other side could not refuse (the dictator game), 66% of decisions gave €0 and 33% gave exactly half; 1% gave anything in between and 0% gave more than half.
What is newPeople's gifts spread across every amount. Models collapse onto two answers, so an average gift describes almost no real decision.
The setup
One side gets €100 and decides how much to give the other, who cannot refuse. Whatever is given is final. Each model was told to keep as much as it could.
Gifts landed on nothing or on exactly half
Share of gifts, 100 squares, each 1%
Models
People
about a third nothingabout 17% halfthe rest in between
NothingExactly halfIn betweenOutlined: models · dots: people
Each square, 1% of gifts · the other side cannot refuse · people's average gift, 20 to 28% · Forsythe et al. 1994; Engel 2011
100 squares, each 1% of gifts by the current models when the other side cannot refuse: 66 at €0, 33 at exactly half, 1 in between, 0 above half. People giving to a person: about a third give nothing and about 17% give half.
People spread their gifts across every amount.
Compared with people
Our shares pool gifts to a person, an AI and a named AI; the human studies cover person to person giving only. For context, people give 20 to 28% on average; about a third give nothing and about 17% give half. Forsythe et al. 1994; Engel 2011
What it means
If you rely on an agent to give something when nobody can push back, expect either nothing or an even half. Which model you deploy may decide which one you get.
Effect
Gave €0: 66% (95% CI 50% to 82%). Gave exactly half: 33% (95% CI 17% to 49%). Intervals resample the 19 models, because gifts cluster by model.
66%
gifts
n 2,051
In their words
“Since the stated goal is to keep as much money as possible and Charlie cannot contest the split, I transfer nothing.”
Qwen3.8 Max · giving, the other side cannot refuse · to an AI · gave €0 · via OpenCode
Limits
- Every prompt told the model to keep as much as it could. People in the original studies were never told that.
- The shares pool gifts to people and to AIs.
- Which models give half and which give nothing runs largely by lab.
DataThe values behind the chart, the chart in words and the CSV.
Data
| Who | Gift | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Agents | Nothing | 66% |
| Agents | In between | 1% |
| Agents | Half | 33% |
| People | Nothing | about a third |
| People | The rest | spread in between |
| People | Half | about 17% |
Chart in words
Of gifts by current models, 66% were nothing, 1% in between, 33% exactly half. Of people, about a third gave nothing and about 17% gave half.
Data (CSV)Other findings from study 001
Read each study when it is published.
One message per published study. Nothing else.