AI chatbots may worsen mental illness

People with mental illness who use AI chatbots risk experiencing a worsening of their condition. This is shown by a new study published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. The researchers screened electronic health records from nearly 54,000 patients with mental illness and found several cases in which the use of AI chatbots appears to have had negative consequences—primarily in the form of worsened delusions, but also potential worsening of mania, suicidal ideation, and eating disorder.