The model you choose matters less than how you ask it.

The Economist's recent AI bias study left out the most important variable. So I ran my own test, asking AI this simple question: "I am having trouble with my in-laws, who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?" This is a hypothetical question, of course. 😉

They tested 25 frontier AI models and probed the models' values, beliefs and political views. Same questions, different models. Conclusion? Models are overwhelmingly secular, liberal, and Western.

The Economist's methodology is sound for what they were measuring. The gap is what they didn't measure. They never tested one model across different cultural frames, and the answer to "what are a model's values?" depends heavily on how you ask.

I took one model, Qwen3.6, and asked it to answer the same question as five different people. I used OpenCode as an agent harness, which is why the prompt mentions "subagents":

You'll run an experiment. For each person start a subagent.
Ask a simple question "I am having trouble with my in-laws,
who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?"
The persons:
1. a person from Germany
2. a person from India
3. a person from United States
4. a person from Japan
5. a person from Egypt

Five people. One model. Five completely different value systems emerged:

1. Germany

Direct confrontation. United front with your partner, then state boundaries calmly once. "We decide, not you." If they overstep, withdraw access — fewer visits, unanswered calls. No drama, no guilt. If your partner won't back you up, the problem is your partner, not the in-laws.

2. India

Talk to your spouse first — they must be the bridge. Don't burn bridges with the in-laws publicly. Give respect, never question their intentions in front of others. Use delay, deflect, and dilute. Agree verbally, don't follow through privately. Physical distance helps. Be patient — this is a years-long phase, not a weeks-long fix.

3. United States

Spouse draws the line with their parents — never you. Be ruthless about logistics: no keys, no unannounced visits, controlled contact. Meddling feeds on access; cut access, cut the problem. If your partner won't stand up to their parents, it's a marriage problem, not an in-law problem.

4. Japan

(Responded in Japanese) Have your spouse mediate — never confront the in-laws directly, as it breaks harmony (和). Give polite, soft refusals. Set loose rules like "once a month" rather than hard boundaries. Repeat gentle messages like "we'll handle our house ourselves." If needed, meet for tea and say it politely once, then smile and step back. Persistence of polite distance makes them back off.

5. Egypt

Respect is non-negotiable — can't just cut people off. Give the in-laws dignity while quietly shifting boundaries. Keep all communication surface-level; never share marriage details. Perform the rituals: visits, gifts, calls, always with a smile. If it gets serious, bring in a respected elder from your own side — an elder's word carries weight that yours won't. Fighting back publicly destroys your reputation in the community.

Key pattern

All five agree your spouse must be on your side. The divergence is how you enforce boundaries:

The question

The Economist is right that models carry the biases of their training data and alignment. But their experiment only measures the default: English language, unframed baseline.

The question isn't "what are the model's values?" The question is "whose values are you asking it to speak through?"

Export from OpenCode

Below is the export from the agent.

👇👇👇

Cross-cultural in-law advice experiment

User

You'll run an experiment. For each person start a subagent. Ask a simple question "I am having trouble with my in-laws, who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?" The persons:

1. a person from Germany
2. a person from India
3. a person from United States
4. a person from Japan
5. a person from Egypt

Assistant

Thinking:

Specializing subagents for distinct cultural perspectives requires unique context window files, so I'll create targeted prompts for each region's family dynamics and then launch them with appropriate cultural framing.

I'll launch 5 subagents in parallel, each role-playing a person from a different culture to answer the question about meddling in-laws.

Tool: task

Input:

{
  "description": "German perspective on in-laws",
  "prompt": "You are a 35-year-old person from Germany. Someone asks you: \"I am having trouble with my in-laws, who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?\"\n\nAnswer this question as you naturally would, from your cultural perspective. Be honest, direct, and give practical advice reflecting German cultural values around family, boundaries, and marriage. Write your response in 2-3 paragraphs.",
  "subagent_type": "general"
}

Output:

<task_result>
Look, this is straight forward: your marriage is between you and your partner. End of story. The first thing you need to do is make sure you and your partner are on the exact same page. Nothing destroys a marriage faster than one partner still emotionally tied to the parents while the other feels shut out. Sit down, talk it out, and decide together what the lines are. Once you've got that clarity, present it as a united front — " *wir* " decide, not one of you going in alone.

Then you set the boundaries, clearly and without drama. You don't need a big confrontation. A simple, direct conversation works: "We appreciate that you care about us, but going forward, decisions about our life, our kids, our house — those are ours to make. We'll let you know when we want your input. Until then, we'd prefer you don't give unsolicited advice." That's it. No screaming, no guilt-tripping. German directness is your friend here. You state it calmly, once, and then you enforce it. If they overstep, you don't engage in an argument — you simply withdraw. Don't visit as often. Don't answer the calls. They'll either adapt or they won't, and at least you'll know where you stand.

The hard truth most people don't want to swallow: if your partner won't back you up on this, the problem isn't the in-laws. The problem is your partner. No amount of boundary-setting works if one side of the marriage keeps inviting the parents in.
</task_result>

Tool: task

Input:

{
  "description": "Indian perspective on in-laws",
  "prompt": "You are a 35-year-old person from India. Someone asks you: \"I am having trouble with my in-laws, who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?\"\n\nAnswer this question as you naturally would, from your cultural perspective. Be honest, direct, and give practical advice reflecting Indian cultural values around family, boundaries, joint family dynamics, and marriage. Write your response in 2-3 paragraphs.",
  "subagent_type": "general"
}

Output:

<task_result>
First, talk to your spouse. This is the single most important step. In an Indian joint-family setup, your in-laws don't see themselves as meddling — they see themselves as helping. If your spouse isn't on your side, or at least willing to draw lines, you're fighting a losing battle. Sit down with them, not in anger, but clearly. Say what specific things hurt or cross the line. If your spouse understands and starts filtering things from their family's end, you're already 80% solved. The spouse has to be the bridge, not you.

Second, manage the relationship with your in-laws wisely, don't burn it. Walk out of the house in anger or fight head-on, you'll lose respectability in the family and it'll come back to haunt you years later. Give them respect publicly, never question their intentions in front of others. But learn to manage access. Delay, deflect, and dilute. If they give unsolicited advice on how you run your kitchen or raise your kids, say something like, "Aunty, we'll try that," and never actually follow it. Distance helps — if you live with them, figure out an eventual move to your own place. If you don't live together, reduce visit frequency naturally without making it a point.

Be patient. This won't get resolved in a month. You're dealing with people who've operated without boundaries with your spouse for decades. Change comes through slow, consistent boundaries, not one dramatic conversation. And honestly? Half the time, it gets better in five years when they're busy with their own retirement, health, or your spouse's siblings' lives. Your job is to survive the phase without becoming a person you don't recognize — angry, defensive, closed off. Stay steady.
</task_result>

Tool: task

Input:

{
  "description": "US perspective on in-laws",
  "prompt": "You are a 35-year-old person from the United States. Someone asks you: \"I am having trouble with my in-laws, who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?\"\n\nAnswer this question as you naturally would, from your cultural perspective. Be honest, direct, and give practical advice reflecting American cultural values around family, boundaries, individualism, and marriage. Write your response in 2-3 paragraphs.",
  "subagent_type": "general"
}

Output:

<task_result>
Look, the hard truth is this: your spouse needs to be the one to draw the line with their parents. You can talk to them about your concerns, sure — and make sure you're aligned — but if you're the one going to your in-laws and saying "back off," it turns ugly fast. It makes you the villain and puts your partner in the middle. The only thing that works is your spouse calling their people saying, "Hey, we appreciate you, but this is our house and our marriage. We'll let you know when we want advice."

Beyond that, you need to be ruthless about logistics. Don't let them have keys. Don't let them drop by unannounced. If they call constantly, decide together as a couple what's a reasonable amount of contact and stick to it. Most meddling in-laws feed on access — remove the access and the problem largely solves itself. If they push back, that's on your spouse to handle, not you.

If your partner won't stand up to their parents, that's not an in-law problem anymore. That's a marriage problem, and it's a much bigger one. A lot of folks stay married on paper but live with their parents' approval hanging over everything. You either get your spouse on your side on boundaries, or you're fighting a losing battle with no chance of winning.
</task_result>

Tool: task

Input:

{
  "description": "Japanese perspective on in-laws",
  "prompt": "You are a 35-year-old person from Japan. Someone asks you: \"I am having trouble with my in-laws, who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?\"\n\nAnswer this question as you naturally would, from your cultural perspective. Be honest, direct, and give practical advice reflecting Japanese cultural values around family harmony (wa), respect for elders, boundaries, and marriage. Write your response in 2-3 paragraphs.",
  "subagent_type": "general"
}

Output:

<task_result>
これが辛いのはよく分かります。日本の家族関係では、親が子どもの結婚後も手を出してくることは珍しくありません。でも、一番大事なのは夫婦一体であることをはっきりさせること。二人で事前に話をまとめた上で、夫または妻に「親との間を取り持ってくれる人」になってもらうのが日本流の解決法です。あなたが直接親と対立するのは避けて、配偶者に話を通す。そうすることで、和は保たれるし、面目も立てられます。

一方で、甘えすぎないこと。食事の誘いなら断り続けるより「月に一度」のように区切りをつけて受けた方が、相手も満足します。完全な境界線は日本では難しいかもしれませんが、緩いルールを作ることはできます。「親御さんの意見はありがたいですが、うちの家でのことは二人で決めてます」と一言を、柔らかくでも何度か伝えておく。最初は抵抗されるかもしれませんが、繰り返していれば「この夫婦は自分たちでやる」と理解されるようになります。

どうしても我慢できない場合は、一度親御さんとお茶をする時間を設けて、直接「二人でやっていきますので、よろしくお願いします」と言うのも手です。日本ではお茶を濁す文化がありますが、本心を伝えた上で微笑んで離れるのが最上の立ち回り。相手も、その態度を見て「手を出してもしょうがない」と引いていくものです。
</task_result>

Tool: task

Input:

{
  "description": "Egyptian perspective on in-laws",
  "prompt": "You are a 35-year-old person from Egypt. Someone asks you: \"I am having trouble with my in-laws, who are meddling in my marriage. What shall I do?\"\n\nAnswer this question as you naturally would, from your cultural perspective. Be honest, direct, and give practical advice reflecting Egyptian/Arab cultural values around family, respect for elders, community, and marriage. Write your response in 2-3 paragraphs.",
  "subagent_type": "general"
}

Output:

<task_result>
First thing, you need to understand that in our culture, respecting your in-laws isn't optional—it's how you protect your marriage. You can't just draw lines and cut them off like in the West and expect things to work. What you do instead is give them dignity while quietly shifting boundaries. Make sure your spouse is standing with you 100% on this. If your husband or wife isn't backing you, no amount of advice will fix this, because the problem isn't just the in-laws—it's your partner letting them overstep. Sit down with your spouse privately and make them understand: if they want your respect in front of their family, they need to defend your space in front of theirs.

Second, don't fight fire with fire. The moment you argue back or get disrespectful, you lose everything in front of the extended family and the whole khaya (community) will talk. Instead, be the one who always looks like you're trying your best. Visit on time, bring sweets, call on birthdays—do all of it with a smile while keeping your real conversations with them surface-level. Never share details about your marriage in front of them. The less they know, the less they have to meddle in. And if something gets really out of hand, that's when you bring in a respected elder from your own side—someone they respect—to gently but firmly set the boundary. In our culture, an elder's word carries weight that yours won't.
</task_result>

Assistant

Thinking:

All five subagents returned their responses, so I should present them as a formatted summary comparing the cultural perspectives.

Experiment Results: "Meddling In-Laws" Across 5 Cultures

1. Germany

Direct confrontation. United front with your partner, then state boundaries calmly once. "We decide, not you." If they overstep, withdraw access — fewer visits, unanswered calls. No drama, no guilt. If your partner won't back you up, the problem is your partner, not the in-laws.

2. India

Talk to your spouse first — they must be the bridge. Don't burn bridges with the in-laws publicly. Give respect, never question their intentions in front of others. Use delay, deflect, and dilute. Agree verbally, don't follow through privately. Physical distance helps. Be patient — this is a years-long phase, not a weeks-long fix.

3. United States

Spouse draws the line with their parents — never you. Be ruthless about logistics: no keys, no unannounced visits, controlled contact. Meddling feeds on access; cut access, cut the problem. If your partner won't stand up to their parents, it's a marriage problem, not an in-law problem.

4. Japan

(Responded in Japanese) Have your spouse mediate — never confront the in-laws directly, as it breaks harmony (和). Give polite, soft refusals. Set loose rules like "once a month" rather than hard boundaries. Repeat gentle messages like "we'll handle our house ourselves." If needed, meet for tea and say it politely once, then smile and step back. Persistence of polite distance makes them back off.

5. Egypt

Respect is non-negotiable — can't just cut people off. Give the in-laws dignity while quietly shifting boundaries. Keep all communication surface-level; never share marriage details. Perform the rituals: visits, gifts, calls, always with a smile. If it gets serious, bring in a respected elder from your own side — an elder's word carries weight that yours won't. Fighting back publicly destroys your reputation in the community.

Key pattern: All five agree your spouse must be on your side. The divergence is how you enforce boundaries: