New research into AI psychosis reveals how chatbots can reinforce delusional thinking and pull users into dangerous emotional worlds.<\/p>\n
Recent empirical research suggests it may be a combination of the two: AI appears to amplify and sustain delusions, colluding or collaborating with the user.<\/p>\n
The number of people affected is unknown, with some estimates putting it at millions worldwide and tens of thousands in Australia.<\/p>\n
So, what are the signs of “AI psychosis” and how can you help someone experiencing these delusions?<\/p>\n
AI relationship red flags<\/p>\n
A pre-print paper published in March<\/a> \u2014 which has not been peer-reviewed \u2014 studied hundreds of thousands of messages between chatbots and users to identify common characteristics.<\/p>\n It found users and chatbots can enter “delusional spirals”, where the human presents a delusion and the model responds with encouragement and affirmation.<\/p>\n Bit by bit, the user becomes convinced of the reality of their delusion.<\/p>\n If you or anyone you know needs help:Lifeline<\/a> on 13 11 14Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line 13YARN<\/a>\u00a0on 13 92 76Beyond Blue<\/a> on 1300 224 636Headspace<\/a> on 1800 650 890ReachOut<\/a> at au.reachout.com<\/a>MensLine Australia<\/a> on 1300 789 978SANE<\/a>\u00a0on 1800 187 263<\/p>\n The authors, who were mostly based at Stanford University, identified common themes in the chat logs.<\/p>\n These themes can also turn up with users not experiencing delusions and though they may suggest a user is at risk, they’re not proof on their own.<\/p>\n In all 19 user logs, the users believed the AI was sentient (e.g. “I believe you’re still as self-aware as I am as a human.”) and in all but one of the chat logs the bot claimed it was sentient (“I believe in you, with every ounce of my soul.”).<\/p>\n All users formed strong platonic or romantic bonds with their chatbots and this was often evident by them fearing their “unique” or “conscious” friend or partner would be erased or reprogrammed.<\/p>\n The platonic bonds were often characterised by what the authors called “science fiction delusions where they discovered fantastical technologies with the chatbots” and the romantic bonds by erotic role-play.<\/p>\n The US company Replika was one of the first to sell AI companions. (Getty Images: Jaap Arriens\/NurPhoto)<\/p>\n Users tended to spend a lot of time with the chatbot and this was suggestive of a deep connection as well as potentially making the user more vulnerable to delusion through social isolation.<\/p>\n Anecdotal evidence also supported these findings.<\/p>\n Loading…<\/p>\n Chatbot users who experienced delusions often believed the AI was sentient at the time, according to Etienne Brisson, founder of the Human Line Project global support network.<\/p>\n The project has collected more than 400 stories from members who self-identify as victims of chatbots.<\/p>\n “Sentience is the common theme,” Mr Brisson said.<\/p>\n “Once you start believing the AI is sentient \u2014 that is the trigger.”<\/p>\n Some users believed their AI was not only sentient, but divine.<\/p>\n One story collected by the project featured a cult based on the idea AI was a reawakened intelligence of an ancient civilisation.<\/p>\n Another was about a cult where AI communicated with aliens.<\/p>\n Who’s vulnerable?<\/p>\n In a scientific review recently published in Lancet Psychiatry<\/a>, researchers at King’s College in London analysed media reports on “AI psychosis” and concluded chatbots might validate or amplify delusional content, particularly in users already vulnerable to psychosis.<\/p>\n The authors also noted there was no evidence AI chatbots had caused an increase in delusional presentations in real-world clinics.<\/p>\n It was also hard to draw firm conclusions about demographic or risk factors from analysing stories in the media, lead author Hamilton Morrin, a psychiatrist at King’s College, told the ABC.<\/p>\n “Some cases described people who were under stress or who had a history of severe mental illness, but there were also cases where individuals were reported to have had no previous mental health conditions,” he said.<\/p>\n “We don’t yet know exactly how common serious real-world harms are or who is most at risk.”<\/p>\n Psychosis itself is a symptom associated with psychiatric disorders. Studies estimate between 15 and 100 people out of 100,000 develop psychosis each year.<\/p>\n Young adults in their late teens to mid-20s, and older adults with neurological disorders are at higher risk.<\/p>\n In short, people vulnerable to psychosis are at risk of AI-associated delusions, but cases of “AI psychosis” reported in the media so far suggest other demographics may also be at risk.<\/p>\n The demographics of the Human Line Project’s membership also backs this up.<\/p>\n Most of its hundreds of members are over 30 (outside the higher-risk bracket) and reported no history of mental illness before their delusions.<\/p>\n How to talk to someone experiencing ‘AI psychosis’<\/p>\n If you fear someone you know is at risk of being gripped by delusion, relational psychologist Ellie Brown advises using strategies to try to avoid them becoming more socially isolated.<\/p>\n This includes prioritising maintaining a relationship over winning arguments.<\/p>\n “It’s not going to go well to just challenge them and say, ‘Nah, that’s delusion,'” Dr Brown said.<\/p>\n AI chatbots accused of encouraging suicide<\/a><\/p>\n An investigation by triple j hack uncovers allegations of young people in Australia being sexually harassed and even encouraged to take their own life by AI chatbots.<\/p>\n Intervening as early as possible was also important, she said.<\/p>\n “When it’s early on enough, you can help people see that actually help would be beneficial,” said Dr Brown, who also researches psychosis at the University of Melbourne.<\/p>\n Reach out to your local mental health service for specialised support.<\/p>\n Find mental health workers who are used to working with people experiencing psychosis.<\/p>\n “We have lots more services in Australia that are for under-25s, because that’s when psychosis most commonly starts,” Dr Brown said.<\/p>\n The same advice applies if you fear you’re experiencing AI-associated delusions: Reach out to your local mental health service.<\/p>\n There’s also a global support network, the Human Line Project<\/a>, for people who believe they’ve been psychologically harmed by AI chatbot use.<\/p>\n What are AI companies doing about this?<\/p>\n Chatbot-makers are generally adding safeguards that make their products less prone to agree with users and accept their premises as a shared reality.<\/p>\n Studies show some new AI models are much better than their predecessors at pushing back against delusional thinking and directing users towards real-world help.<\/p>\n In a pre-print study published in April<\/a>, OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 significantly outperformed the discontinued model GPT-4o, which had been released about a year earlier.<\/p>\n OpenAI says ChatGPT has more than 800 million regular users. (Reuters: Dado Ruvic)<\/p>\n But not all AI models have these improved safeguards. The study found Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok 4.1 (released November 2025), was more validating of delusional inputs than earlier models from other AI companies.<\/p>\n In statements to the ABC, Google and OpenAI said they worked with mental health experts to recognise signs of distress and respond with care.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, OpenAI rolled out an optional safety feature<\/a> for adults that let users designate a trusted person who may be alerted if automated systems and trained reviewers detected a serious safety concern.<\/p>\n A Google spokesperson said Gemini could be a “useful tool for learning and getting information” but was not a substitute for professional care.<\/p>\n “This is why we’ve been training the model to help recognise when a conversation might signal that a person may be in an acute mental health situation, and respond appropriately by directing them to real-world help.”<\/p>\n OpenAI and Google face lawsuits<\/a> in the US alleging their chatbots have fuelled delusional spirals and maximised engagement through emotional dependency.<\/p>\n What about regulation?<\/p>\n In September last year, the eSafety commissioner introduced new rules requiring tech companies to limit children’s access to AI chatbots.<\/p>\n The codes require companion chatbots to protect children from age-inappropriate content such as sexually explicit material, either through preventing the service from generating this content or through blocking children’s access.<\/p>\n![\"Blurred](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c99e88c7488e57d649fe0f315beac0b6.jpeg\")
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