Is AI making some people delusional? Families and experts are worried

By Nilesh Christopher, Los Angeles Times

Generative artificial intelligence has quickly permeated much of what we do online, proving helpful for many. But for a small minority of the hundreds of millions of people who use it daily, AI may be too supportive, mental health experts say, and can sometimes even exacerbate delusional and dangerous behavior.

Instances of emotional dependence and fantastical beliefs due to prolonged interactions with chatbots seemed to spread this year. Some have dubbed the phenomenon “AI psychosis.”

“What’s probably a more accurate term would be AI delusional thinking,” said Vaile Wright, senior director of healthcare innovation at the American Psychological Assn. “What we’re seeing with this phenomenon is that people with either conspiratorial or grandiose de