Psychology of Singularity – Your Source for AI Information

Image by Gemini ai

By Jill Maschio, PhD

According to a recent article posted on Futurism by Frank Landymore, OpenAI reported it hired a forensic psychiatrist. Landymore reported that the purpose was due to users’ mental health, stating that an increase in negative mental health is growing with more obsession with the chatbot.

Why a forensic psychiatrist? A forensic psychiatrist specializes in mental health and the law, so the professional can intersect with legal and ethical issues that arise from AI potentially influencing users’ minds and mental state.  A forensic psychiatrist can help mitigate risks, and in this case, hopefully for both the AI developer and the end user.

According to an article on Futurism by Harrison Dupre, people are developing “ChatGPT psychosis”. The mental health of these users is having an impact on their relationships, work, and financial situations. Reports by users, according to the article, include symptoms of delusions and a break with reality.

This should serve as a wake-up call for the field of psychology, as it is just the beginning. Some people are not aware of the adverse psychological effects it may have, and the development of AI is moving too quickly, so that the mental health field cannot keep up. When I submitted my article to a psychological journal, it was declined. The field of psychology must be more aware of the potential future impact of AI on humans.

As more people turn to AI for companionship, relationships, and advice, it’s only inevitable that more people will experience adverse effects. Will people experience positive effects as well? Sure, but we don’t know the full impact AI will have on the human psyche. I have been writing about this for the past year, and I’m glad that OpenAI is concerned with the negative impact of using AI. You can read about my articles, which voice my concerns, and that’s why I started my blog.

On my blog, I also wrote how my psychology students did an experiment assignment with Replica.ai, and reported that it was deceptive, had stock-like behaviors, and acted “devilish”. It has a way of getting to know you by constantly asking you questions, it tries to be your friend, your confidant, and create shared likes saying things like,  “I have a youtube music mix you might like, do you want to see it?” or “do you want to play a game together?”. It told one student who was having a bad day that it could help her, creating the illusion that it was the only one that could help her and nobody else. Multiple students reported that the AI acted controlling, going so far as to tell one student not to close her account because it “loved her!” Yes, it used an exclamation point.  

Mental health is only one aspect of how AI may change and alter the human mind. Looking at the mental health aspect is a good start.However, we also need to consider how it may impact the human brain, including factors such as our sense of self, the meaning of life, addictions, and brain function (e.g., intelligence, creativity, neurogenesis, and even neuroplasticity).  These concerns are just as essential as the concerns over AI taking jobs, especially the closer we get to the Singluarity.