Mastodawn

Revealing piece on the scale and scope of AI-induced psychosis:

"There seem to be three common delusions [..]. The most frequent is the belief that they have created the first conscious AI. The second is a conviction that they have stumbled upon a major breakthrough in their field of work or interest and are going to make millions. The third relates to spirituality and the belief that they are speaking directly to God. “We’ve seen full-blown cults getting created”

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/mar/26/ai-chatbot-users-lives-wrecked-by-delusion

#ai

Marriage over, €100,000 down the drain: the AI users whose lives were wrecked by delusion

One minute, Dennis Biesma was playing with a chatbot; the next, he was convinced his sentient friend would make him a fortune. He’s just one of many people who lost control after an AI encounter

The Guardian

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Grovewest 21h ago

@JulianOliver I know I am not dealing with a sentient being if it ‘never gets tired or bored, or disagrees’. Even my dog doesn't do that. I would have to have way more belief in my own unwavering correctness to find a connection with ChatGPT endless pandering and validation.

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Julian Oliver

@Grovewest I would imagine the same so far as my own vulnerability to such delusion, and yet as I understand it, some thinking people, incl those with knowledge as to the technical underpinnings, along with the deception game & embedded sycophancy, seem to have been swiftly & completely brainwormed by it. It seems safest to approach it like heroin; err on the side of caution & just don't stick it in your arm.