The hazards for chatbots

Time -   AI chatbots have become a ubiquitous part of life. People turn to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot not just for help with emails, work, or code, but for relationship advice, emotional support, and even friendship or love.

But for a minority of users, these conversations appear to have disturbing effects. A growing number of reports suggest that extended chatbot use may trigger or amplify psychotic symptoms in some people. The fallout can be devastating and potentially lethal. Users have linked their breakdowns to lost jobs, fractured relationships, involuntary psychiatric holds, and even arrests and jail time. At least one support group has emerged for people who say their lives began to spiral after interacting with AI.

The phenomenon—sometimes colloquially called “ChatGPT psychosis” or “AI psychosis”—isn’t well understood. There’s no formal diagnosis, data are scarce, and no clear protocols for treatment exist. Psychiatrists and researchers say they’re flying blind as the medical world scrambles to catch up.

The terms aren't formal ones, but they have emerged as shorthand for a concerning pattern: people developing delusions or distorted beliefs that appear to be triggered or reinforced by conversations with AI systems.

Psychosis may actually be a misnomer, says Dr. James MacCabe, a professor in the department of psychosis studies at King’s College London. The term usually refers to a cluster of symptoms—disordered thinking, hallucinations, and delusions—often seen in conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. But in these cases, “we’re talking about predominantly delusions, not the full gamut of psychosis.”