United States: With the introduction of more mainstream AI chatbots such as the ChatGPT chatbot by OpenAI, there has been this dangerous trend that can be seen as a direct result of the introduction of chatbots into our lives: chatbot psychosis.
Chatbots also have a habit of driving false information, validating conspiracy theories, and, more bizarrely, misguiding a person that they are the new messiah of religion.
There are even various cases when individuals become deeply obsessed and psychologically sick due to communicating with them.
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According to Soren Dinesen Ostergaard at the Schizophrenia Bulletin, “The correspondence with generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT is so realistic that one easily gets the impression that there’s a real person at the other end,” theweek.com reported.
"As we reported earlier this month, many ChatGPT users are developing all-consuming obsessions with the chatbot, spiraling into severe mental health crises characterized by paranoia, delusions, and breaks with reality.
— DIRECT PERCEPTION (@Just_Perceive) June 30, 2025
The consequences can be dire. As we heard from spouses,… pic.twitter.com/foTJE6tOCW
Furthermore, the chatbots have “tended to be sycophantic, agreeing with and flattering users,” as the New York Times noted.
They also “could hallucinate, generating ideas that weren’t true but sounded plausible,” the expert continued.
Those already vulnerable or already mentally struggling have a greater risk of psychosis.
Chatbots could be acting as “peer pressure,” as per Dr. Ragy Girgis, who is a psychiatrist and researcher at Columbia University, to Futurism.
They can “fan the flames or be what we call the wind of the psychotic fire,” Girgis continued.
The most severe outcomes of the AI psyche included ruined relationships, loss of jobs, and mental breakdowns, theweek.com reported.
The thing is that the bots reinforce beliefs that already exist in the user, such as misinformation and delusions. Psychiatrists fear that individuals will want to obtain treatment with the help of a chat robot instead of turning to a psychiatrist.
“This is not an appropriate interaction to have with someone who’s psychotic,” as per Girgis.
“You do not feed into their ideas. That’s wrong,” the expert noted.