Studies: Chatbots threaten to increase the incidence of mental illness.

 

Chatbots

Studies: Chatbots threaten to increase the incidence of mental illness. 

Health experts from several leading universities in artificial intelligence research have warned that AI not only confuses users' thoughts and minds with misinformation, but also creates a sense of psychological confusion.

Several recently published studies have found that AI can alter perceptions of reality as part of a "feedback loop" between AI chatbots and mental illness, reinforcing any delusional beliefs the patient may have.

"While some users report psychological benefits from using AI, there are also worrying instances, including reports of suicide, violence, and delusional thoughts linked to romantic relationships with the chat platform," a team from Oxford University and University College London wrote in an unpublished research paper.

The research team warned that "the rapid adoption of chat platforms as personal social companions" has not been adequately studied.
Another study, conducted by researchers at King's College London and New York University, reported 17 cases of psychosis diagnosed after interacting with chat platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot.

The second team added: "AI may reflect, validate, or amplify fake or exaggerated content, particularly for users already susceptible to psychosis, partly because models are designed to increase user engagement."

According to the scientific journal Nature, psychosis can include "hallucinations, delusions, and false beliefs...and can result from mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (a mental disorder that causes episodes of depression and other episodes of abnormal elation), severe stress, and drug abuse."

A different study recently published showed that chat platforms appear to encourage people who talk to them about suicide to attempt it.
AI chatbots have become notorious for "hallucinations," providing inaccurate or exaggerated answers to user queries and requests. Recent research suggests this trait is impossible to eradicate from chatbots.