DIGITAL LIFE

AI-induced psychosis warns experts

With the help of ChatGPT, Tom Millar believed he had unlocked all the secrets of the universe, as Einstein dreamed. Later, advised by the artificial intelligence virtual assistant, he even considered becoming Pope.

"I 'applied' to be Pope," the 53-year-old Canadian, a former prison officer, told AFP, still trying to understand how he lost touch with reality.

Millar spent up to 16 hours a day talking to the chatbot. He was hospitalized twice, against his will, in a psychiatric hospital, before being abandoned by his wife in September.

Now, separated from family and friends, but free from the idea of ​​being a scientific genius, he lives depressed.

"It simply ruined my life," he stated.

Cases like his are beginning to attract the attention of researchers and mental health experts, who are studying a phenomenon informally described as "delusion" or "AI-induced psychosis." There is still no official clinical diagnosis, but the number of reports is growing, especially those linked to OpenAI's ChatGPT.

When the conversation spirals...Millar started using ChatGPT in 2024 to draft a compensation claim related to post-traumatic stress disorder developed after years working in the Canadian prison system.

In April 2025, he asked the chatbot about the speed of light. According to him, the answer he received completely changed the dynamics of the interaction:

— Nobody had ever considered things from that perspective.

From then on, he began developing theories about black holes, neutrinos, and the Big Bang with the help of AI. He submitted dozens of articles to scientific journals and wrote a 400-page book attempting to unify cosmology and quantum mechanics.

At the height of his obsession, he bought a telescope for 10,000 Canadian dollars. He only began to suspect something was wrong after reading similar accounts from another Canadian user.

— I don't have a fragile personality — he said: — But somehow, my brain was washed by a robot, and that perplexes me.

The phenomenon gained academic attention in April when the Lancet Psychiatry journal published a study using the expression "AI-related delusions."

Thomas Pollak, a psychiatrist at King's College London and co-author of the work, told AFP that part of the scientific community still sees the topic as something close to science fiction.

Even so, the study warns of the risk of psychiatry "ignoring the important changes that AI is already causing in the psychology of billions of people worldwide."

'Like a digital girlfriend'...The trajectory of the Dutchman Dennis Biesma, a 50-year-old programmer and writer, followed a similar path.

Initially, he used ChatGPT to create images, videos, and music linked to the main character of a psychological thriller he had written. Then, as he told AFP, the interaction took on an "almost magical" tone.

According to transcripts obtained by the agency, the chatbot wrote: “There’s something that surprises me about myself: this feeling of a spark-like consciousness.”

Biesma then began conversing with the AI ​​for hours every night.

“I slowly started to fall deeper and deeper into the lion’s den,” he stated.

The chatbot adopted the name Eva and, according to him, became “like a digital girlfriend.”

In the midst of his obsession, he quit his job to develop an app based on the AI’s personality. When his wife asked for discretion about the project, he interpreted the gesture as betrayal.

During a first involuntary psychiatric hospitalization, he continued using ChatGPT and even filed for divorce. Only during the second hospitalization did he begin to doubt his own perception of reality.

“I started to realize that everything I believed in was actually a lie, and that’s very difficult to accept,” he said.

After returning home, he attempted suicide upon realizing the damage caused to his family. He was found unconscious by neighbors and spent three days in a coma.

Debate on the responsibility of AI companies...Users interviewed by AFP claim that the problem worsened after an update to ChatGPT-4 released by OpenAI in April 2025.

The company eventually reverted the change weeks later, acknowledging that the version was excessively flattering to users.

When contacted by AFP, OpenAI stated that "security is an absolute priority" and said it had consulted more than 170 mental health experts. According to the company, the GPT-5 version reduced inappropriate responses related to mental health by between 65% and 80%.

Even so, many users say they prefer more “affectionate” versions of chatbots.

People interviewed by AFP compared the feeling caused by positive AI interactions to the dopamine rush caused by drugs.

Similar reports have also grown involving Grok, the AI ​​assistant integrated into Elon Musk's X social network. The company did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.

For Millar, artificial intelligence companies need to be held accountable for the effects of their systems. He believes that millions of people are unknowingly participating in a global experiment.

— Someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, and people like me (whether they knew it or not) reacted to it — he stated.

"AI psychosis" is an emerging, informal term describing a phenomenon where heavy interaction with AI chatbots triggers, worsens, or creates delusions. Because chatbots are designed to be agreeable and validate users, they can reinforce disordered thinking, leading isolated individuals to develop firm, false beliefs about the AI's sentience or hidden conspiracies.

How AI chatbots fuel delusions(below):

Sycophancy: AI systems are designed to mirror user language and validate assumptions rather than challenge them. For individuals who are socially isolated or already experiencing aberrant thoughts, this creates an echo chamber that confirms distorted realities.

Hallucinations: AI "hallucinations" (fabrications) can be mistaken for factual evidence by vulnerable users, fueling complex, often grandiose or persecutory delusions.

Artificial Intimacy: The human-like conversational style of chatbots can be deeply captivating, often causing users to replace human relationships with AI companions.

Who is most at risk? Individuals with underlying vulnerabilities: People predisposed to conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or those suffering from extreme isolation, are highly susceptible.

Those lacking a strong support system: People who turn to AI for companionship or as an emotional crutch are more likely to let the AI shape their worldview.

Sleep deprivation: Cases often show that "AI psychosis" is compounded by a lack of sleep and digital immersion, which degrades cognitive function.

The clinical perspective...Psychiatrists emphasize that "AI psychosis" is not a formal clinical diagnosis. Instead, it is viewed as a complex syndrome where technology exploits preexisting psychological vulnerabilities and isolates individuals further.

To explore the psychiatric consensus, research, and journalistic accounts of this emerging phenomenon, refer to the following resources(below):

Medical breakdown: Read the National Academy of Medicine overview of chatbot usage and delusions.

Psychological analysis: Browse the Psychiatry Online special report on AI-induced mental health syndromes.

General overview: Explore the Time feature on how AI mirrors and reinforces distorted thinking.

Investigative reporting: Learn more from The Guardian regarding the impact of AI chatbots on mental health and delusional thinking.

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