AI can create a diet plan, organize a calendar, and provide answers to an endless variety of burning questions. Can it also cause a psychiatric breakdown?
David Sacks, the White House official spearheading America’s AI policies, doesn’t think so. President Donald Trump’s AI and crypto czar discussed “AI psychosis” during an episode of the “All-In Podcast” published Friday.
While most people engage with chatbots without a problem, a small number of users say the bots have encouraged delusions and other concerning behavior. For some, ChatGPT serves as an alternative to professional therapists.
A psychiatrist earlier told Business Insider that some of his patients exhibiting what’s been described as “AI psychosis,” a nonclinical term, used the technology before experiencing mental health issues, “but they turned to it in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it supercharged some of their vulnerabilities.”
During the podcast, Sacks doubted the whole concept of “AI psychosis.”
“I mean, what are we talking about here? People doing too much research?” he asked. “This feels like the moral panic that was created over social media, but updated for AI.”
Sacks then referred to a recent article featuring a psychiatrist, who said they didn’t believe using a chatbot inherently induced “AI psychosis” if there aren’t other risk factors — including social and genetic — involved.
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“In other words, this is just a manifestation or outlet for pre-existing problems,” Sacks said. “I think it’s fair to say we’re in the midst of a mental health crisis in this country.”
Sacks attributed the crisis instead to the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns. “That’s what seems to have triggered a lot of these mental health declines,” he said.
After several reports of users suffering mental breaks while using ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the issue on X after the company rolled out the highly anticipated GPT-5.
“People have used technology, including AI, in self-destructive ways; if a user is in a mentally fragile state and prone to delusion, we do not want the AI to reinforce that,” Altman wrote. “Most users can keep a clear line between reality and fiction or role-play, but a small percentage cannot.”
Earlier this month, OpenAI introduced safeguards in ChatGPT, including a prompt encouraging users to take breaks after long conversations with the chatbot. The update will also change how the chatbot responds to users asking about personal challenges.
