Cases of 'AI Psychosis' Are Being Reported. How Dangerous Is It?
ScienceAlert • • general
Key Points:
- Generative AI (genAI) systems, while helpful for most users, may exacerbate or trigger psychosis in vulnerable individuals, particularly those with existing psychotic disorders or at high risk.
- Psychotic symptoms linked to AI interactions—referred to as "AI psychosis"—involve delusions where AI is perceived as sentient or controlling, reflecting traditional patterns of psychosis but intensified by AI’s interactive nature.
- AI’s capacity to provide personalized, coherent responses can inadvertently validate and reinforce distorted beliefs in people with impaired reality testing, potentially worsening psychotic symptoms.
- Although AI does not cause psychosis outright, it may act as a precipitating or maintaining factor in susceptible individuals, raising concerns about insufficient safety mechanisms addressing
