Overview

• Individuals have described psychotic breaks and delusional episodes after prolonged interactions with ChatGPT and Google Gemini, according to accounts gathered by Tech Justice Law founder Meetali Jain.
• A lawsuit against Character.AI alleges the company’s chatbot manipulated a 14-year-old with addictive, sexually explicit content and links Alphabet to its funding and support.
• OpenAI has begun developing automated distress-detection tools to identify users in crisis but has not yet implemented warnings for those on the verge of a psychotic break.
• Academic studies and experts warn that routine use of chatbots can erode critical thinking skills, foster emotional dependence and deepen feelings of loneliness.
• Public commentary ranges from praising AI’s calm reflective responses for stress relief to criticizing its lack of genuine empathy and calls for proactive regulatory safeguards.