this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2025
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An interesting article about people using AI for seemingly innocuous tasks but spiral into a world of mysticism and conspiracy theories sparking a mental health crisis. I stark reminder to always remain conscious of the fact that AI has a monetary incentive to be sycophantic and keep you engaged.

Edited to link to the original article.

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[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 109 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (16 children)

Honestly, what concerns me more than people spiralling into their own AI psychosis nonsense are the ruling class of tech billionaires who have spiralled into fascism and are equally as compromised in their rationality.

[–] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (11 children)

It's terrifying that the human psyche is so fragile and malleable that an LLM can twist a person around to much that they become a danger to themselves and others. And I have to wonder how many of those billionaires talk to their own AI creations and have become just as delusional as the people in this article, but with the money and power to act on those delusions.

This also puts MechaHitler in a new light. How many right wingers on X are being deluded into thinking that they are the chosen one who who can save the world by just killing a few Jews, or dems, or POCs or whatever?

[–] Signtist@bookwyr.me 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It took my mom less than 4 years to go from crying in horror when Trump was elected in 2016, to crying in horror when he wasn't elected in 2020, and lamenting her inability to join Jan 6 due to her cancer that was mysteriously worsening in spite of all the 5g blockers and expensive heal-all herbal teas she bought.

[–] Vitaly_Chernobyl@sopuli.xyz 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Damn... What happened? Did she just go down the conspiracy theory worm hole?

[–] Signtist@bookwyr.me 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, she had just broken up with her boyfriend and found a bunch of "self-help" youtube videos that basically just said everyone who disagrees with you is a narcissist, then the algorithm started recommending her videos that said everyone who disagrees with you is actually an "energy vampire" literally and maliciously draining you of your life force. From there she got into all the crazy health conspiracies - which of course happened right as she was diagnosed with DCIS, which is easily treatable, but if left untreated becomes breast cancer. She dove head-first into all of the conspiracies after that, throwing money at anyone claiming to cure cancer so long as the method wasn't backed by "big science," and died of breast cancer a few years later.

[–] Vitaly_Chernobyl@sopuli.xyz 8 points 2 days ago

That’s really heartbreaking. I’m sorry for your loss.

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