216. AI Psychosis

We are leaving you with the future. For our final episode, we explore the occurrences of "AI Psychosis" and lay out what chatbots are really doing. Spoiler alert, they don't care about your well-being.

  • Barbaro, Michael. The Daily: Trapped in a ChatGPT Spiral. The New York Times, 16 Sept. 2025. Podcast.

  • BBC News. (2024, May 2). California couple sues OpenAI over death of teenage son allegedly linked to ChatGPT. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news

  • Bertrand, L. (2023, April 1). Belgian man dies by suicide after conversations with AI chatbot, widow saysThe Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com

  • Caridad, Kevin. “When the Chatbot Becomes the Crisis: Understanding AI-Induced Psychosis.” Papsychotherapy.org, Cognitive Behavior Institute, July 2025, www.papsychotherapy.org/blog/when-the-chatbot-becomes-the-crisis-understanding-ai-induced-psychosis. Accessed 19 Sept. 2025.

  • Hern, A. (2023, April 3). Belgian man dies by suicide after talking to chatbot, reports sayThe Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com

  • Hill, Kashmir. “A Teen Was Suicidal. ChatGPT Was the Friend He Confided In.” The New York Times, 26 Aug. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/technology/chatgpt-openai-suicide.html.

  • ---. “They Asked ChatGPT Questions. The Answers Sent Them Spiraling.” The New York Times, 13 June 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/technology/chatgpt-ai-chatbots-conspiracies.html.

  • Hill, Kashmir, and Dylan Freedman. “Chatbots Can Go into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens.” The New York Times, 8 Aug. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/technology/ai-chatbots-delusions-chatgpt.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share.

  • Murgia, M., & Pilling, D. (2023, April 5). AI and suicide: Belgian tragedy highlights risks of unregulated chatbotsFinancial Timeshttps://www.ft.com

  • Morrin, Hamilton. “Delusions by Design? How Everyday AIs Might Be Fuelling Psychosis (and What Can Be Done about It).” Osf.io, 2025, osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/cmy7n_v5. Accessed 19 Sept. 2025.

  • National Institute of Mental Health. “Understanding Psychosis.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 2023, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/understanding-psychosis. Accessed 15 Sept. 2025.

  • NHS. “Psychosis.” Nhs.uk, NHS, 5 Sept. 2023, www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/psychosis/overview/. Accessed 14 Sept. 2025.

  • Nitasha Tiku, and Sabrina Malhi. “What Is “AI Psychosis” and How Can ChatGPT Affect Your Mental Health?” The Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/19/ai-psychosis-chatgpt-explained-mental-health/. Accessed 15 Sept. 2025.

  • Ozebek, Kevin. ““General Hospital” Actor Deepfake Scam: Expert Breaks down Ways to Spot a Fake AI Video.” ABC7 San Francisco, 27 Aug. 2025, abc7news.com/post/general-hospital-actor-steve-burton-deepfake-scam-experts-break-down-top-ways-spot-fake-ai-video/17665484/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2025.

  • Vincent, J. (2023, April 6). Man’s suicide after chatbot conversations sparks debate on AI’s dangersThe Vergehttps://www.theverge.com

  • West, S. M., Whittaker, M., & Crawford, K. (2019). Discriminating systems: Gender, race, and power in AI. AI Now Institute. https://ainowinstitute.org/discriminatingsystems.pdf

  • Wei, Marlynn. “The Emerging Problem of “AI Psychosis.”” Psychology Today, 2025, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202507/the-emerging-problem-of-ai-psychosis. Accessed 18 Sept. 2025.

  • Yousif, Nadine. “Parents of Teenager Who Took His Own Life Sue OpenAI.” BBC News, 27 Aug. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgerwp7rdlvo.

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215. Behind the Couch: Getting the Story Right w/ Dark City Podcast