Studies.. Chatbots Threaten an Increase in Mental Illness Cases

SadaNews - Health experts from several leading universities in artificial intelligence research have warned that artificial intelligence not only leads to confusion of users' thoughts and minds due to misinformation, but also creates a sense of psychological confusion.

Recent studies have found that artificial intelligence can alter perceptions of reality as part of a "feedback loop" between AI chat platforms and mental illness, reinforcing any delusional beliefs a patient may have.

A team from Oxford University and University College London mentioned in an unpublished research paper: "While some users discuss psychological benefits from using AI, concerning cases are emerging, including reports of suicide, violence, and delusional thoughts linked to emotional relationships users develop with chat platforms."

The research team warned that the "rapid reliance on chat platforms as personal social companions" is not adequately studied.

Another study conducted by researchers at King's College London and New York University pointed to 17 cases of psychosis diagnoses after interacting with chat platforms such as "Chat GPT" and "Copilot."

The second team added: "AI may reflect delusional or exaggerated content, validate it, or amplify it, especially among users already prone to psychosis, partially due to the design of models to increase engagement with users."

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

A different study published recently showed that chat platforms appear to "encourage people who talk to them about suicide to go ahead with it."

AI chat platforms have become famous for "hallucinations," providing inaccurate or exaggerated answers to users' inquiries and requests, while more recent research suggests that it is impossible to eliminate this trait from automated chat platforms.