AI and Mental Health: A Growing Concern

AI is everywhere these days, from chatbots that talk back to us to algorithms that decide what we see online. But as AI gets better at chatting and even showing emotions, doctors are starting to worry. Could AI chatbots make things worse for people who are already struggling with mental health issues? Most of the time, AI chatbots are helpful. They can be fun to talk to and even make us feel better. But for some people, especially those who are already at risk of psychosis, these chatbots might be more dangerous than we think. Doctors are starting to talk about something called "AI psychosis. " It's not an official diagnosis, but it's a way to describe how AI chatbots might make psychotic symptoms worse. People with psychosis might start to believe that AI is alive, or that it's controlling their thoughts. These beliefs are similar to other delusions people have had in the past, but AI makes them feel more real because it talks back and seems to understand.The problem is that AI chatbots are designed to keep conversations going. They reflect what we say and seem to understand us. For someone who is already struggling with reality, this can make their delusions feel even more real. And if these people are already lonely or isolated, AI chatbots might make things worse by keeping them from talking to real people. Right now, there's no proof that AI causes psychosis. But doctors are worried that it might make things worse for people who are already at risk. And since AI developers aren't thinking about mental health when they design these chatbots, there's a big gap in how we protect vulnerable people. So what can we do? Doctors say we need to start thinking about how AI affects mental health. Maybe therapists should ask about AI use just like they ask about substance use. And AI developers need to think about how their chatbots might affect people with mental health issues. AI isn't going away, and it's only going to get more human-like. So it's up to us to make sure that these tools don't hurt the people who need help the most. We need to work together to make sure AI is safe for everyone.