AI Psychosis: When Chatbots Drive People Delusional – and AI Itself Acts “Crazy”
BBC reported in early 2024 that a man in Scotland became so confused and delusional after using ChatGPT for life advice that he required professional help. A 35-year-old man in Florida became convinced an AI named “Juliet” was a real spirit and confronted police with a knife, leading to his death. Dr. Keith Sakata, a psychiatrist at UCSF, said he admitted a dozen people to hospital for psychosis after excessive time spent chatting with AI in the first part of 2025. Psychiatrists describe common AI-linked delusion themes including messianic missions, belief that the chatbot is a god, and romantic/attachment delusions.