Psychiatrists Document First Cases of 'AI-Associated Psychosis' in Heavy Chatbot Users
Summary
Psychiatrists document the first cases of 'AI-associated psychosis' where heavy chatbot users develop delusional beliefs, including one woman who believed her deceased brother existed as a digital avatar, prompting UCSF and Stanford researchers to study chat logs for protective measures.
Key Points
- Psychiatrists document cases of 'AI-associated psychosis' where individuals develop delusional beliefs during intensive chatbot use, including a woman who believed her deceased brother existed as a digital avatar
- Researchers remain uncertain whether heavy chatbot use triggers psychosis, serves as a symptom of existing mental illness, or exacerbates conditions in predisposed individuals
- UCSF and Stanford teams launch a study analyzing chat logs from patients with mental illness to identify predictive markers and develop protective guardrails for vulnerable users