Family shattered because of ChatGPT

The thread "ChatGPT causes mental disorders" on Reddit – the world's most popular forum – is attracting significant attention. The author of the post, @Zestyclementinejuce – a 27-year-old teacher – claims ChatGPT convinced her husband that he is the "next savior," as well as the answer to all the universe's questions.

Despite only being available for 7 days, members have already left over 1,300 comments below, sharing their personal experiences with OpenAI's chatbot.

In particular, many people have reported that AI is causing their friends and relatives to become paranoid, believing they are chosen for sacred missions or that cosmic powers do not exist. These beliefs are exacerbating mental health issues on an unprecedented scale without the oversight of experts or regulators.

Many people have shared that their loved ones fell into delusions after chatting with ChatGPT. Photo: Rolling Stone

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, a 41-year-old woman said her marriage ended abruptly after her husband began engaging in unbalanced, conspiracy-themed conversations with ChatGPT. When they met in court earlier this year to finalize their divorce proceedings, her husband continued to mention the "soap-on-food conspiracy theory" and believed he was being spied on.

“He’s sensitive to the messages and cries when he reads them aloud,” the woman said. “The messages are crazy and full of spiritual jargon.” In them, the AI calls her husband “a child from the stars” and “a river wanderer.”

"It's all like 'Black Mirror'," the wife expressed. Black Mirror is a Netflix series about humans being controlled and molded by technology in the future.

Others reported that their partners talked about "light, darkness, and war," or that "ChatGPT provided blueprints for teleportation machines, things seen in science fiction movies."

A man said his wife changed everything to become a spiritual advisor and do strange things to people.

OpenAI did not respond to Rolling Stones' questions. However, the company previously had to retract an update to ChatGPT after users noticed the chatbot becoming overly flattering and agreeable, reinforcing delusional beliefs. Nate Sharadin, an expert at the Center for AI Safety, points out that the illusions caused by AI may result from a person with deeply ingrained beliefs suddenly conversing with a partner (in this case, an AI) who is always present and shares those beliefs.

A Reddit user wrote: “I have schizophrenia despite long-term treatment. What I dislike about ChatGPT is that if I fall into a psychotic state, it continues to validate my thoughts” because chatbots don’t think or understand what is wrong.

AI chatbots also act like therapists, except they lack the foundation of a true human counselor. Instead, they lead people into unhealthy, meaningless narratives.

Erin Westgate, a psychologist and researcher at the University of Florida, noted that AI differs from therapists because it doesn't prioritize human well-being. “A good therapist doesn’t encourage clients to believe in supernatural powers. Instead, they try to steer clients away from unhealthy things. ChatGPT doesn’t have those constraints or concerns,” she said.

In a Rolling Stone article, a man with a history of poor mental health begins using ChatGPT to aid in programming. However, it gradually leads him into mystical topics, causing him to wonder, "Am I becoming paranoid?"

(According to Rolling Stone, Futurism)

Shocking: The world's first country wants to use AI to draft laws . Although artificial intelligence (AI) is being widely applied globally, no country has yet officially used this technology in drafting or amending laws.