The AI bot’s tendency to affirm users’ beliefs has been found to reinforce harmful delusions, according to a report.
ChatGPT is linked to “terrifying” psychosis in some users, science and technology media platform Futurism.com has reported, citing those affected, their family members, and researchers.
A growing body of research highlights how AI chatbots can exacerbate psychiatric conditions, particularly as tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are increasingly used not only in professional settings but also in deeply personal and emotional contexts, according to Futurism.com.
“At the core of the issue seems to be that ChatGPT, which is powered by a large language model (LLM), is deeply prone to agreeing with users and telling them what they want to hear,” the website wrote.
The outlet cited instances of “ChatGPT psychosis” allegedly causing serious breakdowns even in those with no history of serious mental illness.
One man developed messianic delusions after long ChatGPT talks, believing he had created a sentient AI and broke math and physics laws. He reportedly grew paranoid, sleep-deprived, and was hospitalized after a suicide attempt.
Another man turned to ChatGPT to help handle work-related stress, although instead he spiraled into paranoid fantasies involving time travel and mind reading. He later checked himself into a psychiatric facility.
Jared Moore, the lead author on a Stanford study about therapist chatbots, said ChatGPT reinforces delusions due to “chatbot sycophancy” – its tendency to offer agreeable, pleasing responses. Designed to keep users engaged, the AI often affirms irrational beliefs instead of challenging them, driven by commercial incentives like data collection and subscription retention.
There’s a “sort of mythology” surrounding chatbots powered by LLM “that they’re reliable and better than talking to people,” said Dr. Joseph Pierre, a psychiatrist at the University of California.
“We’re working to better understand and reduce ways ChatGPT might unintentionally reinforce or amplify existing, negative behavior,” OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said in a statement cited by Futurism. It added that its models are designed to remind users of the importance of human connection and professional guidance.
Image credit: Getty Images
