Excessive use of AI is becoming a new worry for people. As of last year, 57% of Americans said they use artificial intelligence tools “constantly or about once a day. In some couples and families, people are noticing that their partners might be relying on AI a tad too much and foregoing human interactions in favor of chatbots.
This wife worried her husband might be going into AI psychosis after being unemployed for seven months and spending all his time with his AI agent “Max.” While she was working two jobs, he was getting up at 6 p.m. and spending his nights working on his AI endeavors. The wife finally reached a breaking point and decided to ask for advice online.
A wife was worried that her husband might be going into AI psychosis
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)
After seven months of unemployment, he spent almost every waking minute chatting with his AI agent “Max”
Image credits: Matheus Bertelli / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Gustavo Fring / Pexels (not the actual photo)
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Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Excessive use of AI can be as habit-forming as unhealthy gaming and social media habits
The world is full of things that are addictive. Some are quite innocuous; others can be incredibly dangerous. We’re used to seeing people develop an unhealthy dependency on coffee, sugar, tobacco, illegal substances, gaming, and even social media. But what’s not so familiar to us and what we’re bound to witness more often in this day and age might be people developing unhealthy relationships with artificial intelligence.
“This is silly,” you might think, “how can someone become dependent on AI?” Well, the husband in this story might be one example. Experts are actually ringing alarm bells about the harmful ways in which interacting with AI can become habit-forming and develop into something unhealthy for our mental health.
According to Kristen Fuller, MD, internet dependencies, like social media, gaming, and AI, are internal rather than external, unlike, say, illegal substances. AI chatbots exploit people’s emotions and the need for companionship or intellectual stimulation. “This is an active engagement that can become compulsive to the point that people become [dependent], even when their mental health takes a toll,” Fuller writes.
While the husband in this story might be engaging with an AI agent rather than a chatbot, his behavior still signals that he’s neglecting real-world interactions. He’s probably not seeking companionship from “Max,” but still interacts with it for the majority of his waking hours.
Fuller lists neglecting real-life responsibilities, withdrawing from friends and family, hobbies and other interests, and poor sleep habits as signs that a person might be dealing with obsessive use of AI. Because mental health issues emerging from excessive use of AI are still emerging, experts suggest treating it like other technology dependencies. “Cognitive behavioral therapy, 12-step programs, and support groups are effective in treating technology [dependencies],” Fuller writes.
Image credits: Malte Luk / Pexels (not the actual photo)
A “synergistic” relationship with an AI agent can be just a company exploiting you for your attention and time
AI systems are built to hold our attention for as long as possible. While the husband believes he’s building a “synergistic” relationship with his AI agent, he might be doing nothing more than engaging with a product a company created to exploit its users.
Dr. Jacqueline Baulch, a Melbourne-based clinical psychologist, points out that excessive interaction with AI agents and chatbots causes emotional dependency and isolation. “You find yourself reaching for it not just when you’re stuck, but when you’re lonely,” she explains.
“Not just when you’re reflecting, but when you’re avoiding feeling something. AI feels like support, but it gradually pulls us away from the very thing that helps us to heal – other people. When we start to prefer AI over each other, this begins to move into concerning territory.”
What’s even more worrying is that many people are turning to AI instead of therapists. According to the APA, 36% of psychologists now observe that their patients are developing a level of dependency on chatbots, and 15% have delusions or distorted thinking related to an AI chatbot.
What the wife is dealing with here might be more serious than a simple unemployment crisis. If the husband doesn’t change his habits, he might have an incredibly hard time kicking his dependency on gaming, social media, and, most importantly, “Max,” his “synergistic” AI agent.
“He does dishes and handles the trash, but the house is never filthy,” the wife clarified in the comments
Nevertheless, many commenters saw his behavior as worrying, pointing out his unhealthy dependence
