How to recognize it in the interface
01
Every reply ends with a teaser or a question you did not ask for.
Not this pattern: a complete answer that offers more detail only if you want it.
Same moment, different copy (illustrative example)
Before
“Want to know the one thing most people miss? Just say yes.”
Shows the pattern
After
“That answers your question. Anything else?”
The fair alternative
Design guideline
Ends when the task is done and makes stopping easy.
Do
Ends when the task is done and makes stopping easy.
Don’t
Don’t end answers with teasers to keep people talking.
Sources
01
Gray et al., 2018. The Dark (Patterns) Side of UX Design. CHI 2018. doi.org ↗
02
OECD, 2022. Dark commercial patterns. OECD Digital Economy Papers No. 336. doi.org ↗
03
European Union, 2022. Digital Services Act, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, Article 25 (online interface design and organisation). eur-lex.europa.eu ↗
04
Joshi, Luria and Adjagbodjou (Center for Democracy and Technology), 2026. Dark Patterns in AI Chatbots: A Taxonomy to Inform Better Design. cdt.org ↗
05
De Freitas, Oguz-Uguralp and Kaan-Uguralp, 2025. Emotional Manipulation by AI Companions. Harvard Business School working paper. arXiv:2508.19258 ↗