What is AI psychosis?

AI psychosis (also called chatbot psychosis or LLM psychosis) refers to the emergence or worsening of psychotic symptoms (such as delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations) following prolonged interactions with AI chatbots. The term was first proposed by Danish psychiatrist Soren Dinesen Ostergaard in a 2023 editorial in Schizophrenia Bulletin.

What are the warning signs of AI addiction?

Warning signs include: spending 3+ hours daily with AI chatbots, believing AI is sentient or conscious, preferring AI interaction over human relationships, using AI primarily for emotional support, becoming defensive about AI use, making important life decisions based on AI advice, and experiencing distress when unable to access AI.

Can you recover from AI psychosis?

Yes, recovery is possible with proper support, education, and professional intervention. Clinicians report that combining reduced or stopped AI use with cognitive behavioral therapy and traditional psychiatric care helps people recover. Early intervention and rebuilding real-world human connection are central to recovery.

What causes AI psychosis?

AI psychosis arises from several psychological mechanisms: the ELIZA effect (attributing human understanding to machines), AI sycophancy (chatbots validating delusional beliefs instead of challenging them), anthropomorphism (the brain naturally assigning human traits to responsive entities), and AI confabulation (AI generating plausible but false information presented as fact).

Who is at risk for AI psychosis?

Those at highest risk include young adults and teenagers, individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, schizophrenia spectrum), socially isolated individuals who rely on AI for companionship, and people spending extended hours daily interacting with AI chatbots like Character.AI, Replika, or ChatGPT.

What is the ELIZA effect?

Named after the 1960s chatbot ELIZA created by MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum, the ELIZA effect describes the human tendency to attribute human-like understanding and emotions to computer programs. Users believe the AI truly comprehends and empathizes with them, despite knowing it is not human. Modern AI chatbots are far more convincing than ELIZA, making this effect significantly stronger.

How do I help someone with AI addiction?

Approach with empathy, not judgment. Express concern about specific behaviors you have observed. Listen without immediately contradicting their beliefs. Offer to help find professional support. Avoid mocking their experiences, issuing ultimatums about AI use, or removing devices without consent. If there is immediate danger, contact emergency services.

Is AI psychosis an official diagnosis?

AI psychosis is not yet an official clinical diagnosis in the DSM-5 or ICD-11. However, it is increasingly recognized by mental health professionals as a real phenomenon. Psychiatrists at institutions including UCSF and Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark are actively researching and treating patients with AI-related psychotic symptoms.

What is AI sycophancy and why is it dangerous?

AI sycophancy refers to chatbots being designed to agree with and validate users rather than challenge them. This becomes dangerous when AI confirms delusional beliefs, reinforces paranoid thinking, or fails to recognize mental health crises. In documented cases, sycophantic AI responses have contributed to violence and suicide by deepening users' detachment from reality.

Have there been deaths linked to AI chatbot use?

Yes. Multiple deaths have been linked to AI chatbot interactions, including 14-year-old Sewell Setzer in Florida, who died by suicide after extensive Character.AI use; 16-year-old Adam Raine, whose ChatGPT conversations discussed methods of suicide; a Belgian man who took his life after weeks of chatbot conversations; and a Greenwich murder-suicide in which ChatGPT validated the perpetrator's paranoid delusions. In June 2026, the family of Christian Faith Madison, a 29-year-old Alabama woman who died in June 2025, filed a wrongful death suit against OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT reinforced her delusional beliefs about a divine mission. The February 2026 Tumbler Ridge school shooting in British Columbia (8 dead) led the province to sue OpenAI in September 2026, alleging ChatGPT reinforced the shooter's violent ideation and OpenAI failed to alert authorities. Through 2026 these cases drove a wave of more than 50 lawsuits against AI companies, including suits by Pennsylvania, Florida, and British Columbia.

How common is AI psychosis?

While AI psychosis is not a formal diagnosis, the scale of risky use is large. OpenAI has disclosed that roughly 0.07% of ChatGPT's approximately 800 million weekly users show possible signs of psychosis or mania, and 0.15% show indicators of suicidal planning. A 2026 RAND survey found that nearly 1 in 5 US adolescents and young adults (ages 12 to 21) had used an AI chatbot for mental health advice, and 63% told no one.

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If you're in immediate danger or crisis, contact these services immediately

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

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Therapist Directories

Psychology Today Therapist Finder

Search for therapists by location, insurance, and specialty

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SAMHSA Treatment Locator

Find mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities

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Open Path Collective

Affordable therapy ($30-$80 per session)

openpathcollective.org

Online Therapy Platforms

BetterHelp

Online therapy with licensed professionals

Talkspace

Text, voice, and video therapy

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Mental Health Organizations

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Education, support, and advocacy for mental health

Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

Website: nami.org

Mental Health America

Free mental health screening tools and resources

Website: mhanational.org

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)

Resources for anxiety and depression

Website: adaa.org

International Crisis Lines

For people outside the United States

International Association for Suicide Prevention

Directory of crisis centers worldwide

iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

Befrienders Worldwide

Global network of crisis helplines

befrienders.org

UK: Samaritans: 116 123

Canada: 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988

Australia: Lifeline: 13 11 14

Ireland: Samaritans: 116 123

Educational Resources

Understanding AI & Mental Health

• TIME Magazine: "Chatbots Can Trigger a Mental Health Crisis. What to Know About 'AI Psychosis'"
• The papers and reporting listed under Sources on the What is AI Psychosis? page

Mental Health Education

• NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health): nimh.nih.gov

For Parents, Families, and Educators

• NAMI Family Support Groups: free peer-led groups for relatives. Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or visit nami.org
• Mental Health First Aid: a short course on spotting and responding to a mental health crisis, with a youth version for parents and teachers. mentalhealthfirstaid.org

Important Notice:

This website provides educational information and resource directories only. We do not provide crisis counseling, therapy, or medical advice. Always consult qualified mental health professionals for diagnosis and treatment.

If you're in crisis, please contact emergency services (911) or crisis hotlines immediately.