Description: Large Language Models have no historical precedents in human experience. Discover the real risks of AI psychosis, AI loneliness, job displacement, and worsening depression from over-reliance on chatbots — and why professional telepsychiatry care is essential.
There are No Historical Precedents for LLMs
Artificial Intelligence, currently presented as Large Language Models, is different from any previous interaction in human experience. Mental models have no basis to weigh what chatbot answers represent in conversations. What does this mean? The current human generation is seeing something that’s never been seen before, and the results are mixed. Case studies aren’t enough to figure out what has developed and how to focus on safety and future interactions.
AI has had different results for different people using it, and as a result it can be used as anything as a tool for research and development or a source of depression and sorrow. Whether AI is biewed as an assistant to work or an assistant to solving personal problems significantly impacts how interactions with it will go and what advice and plans are taken away from interactions. It’s important to look at the possible impacts, both positive and negative, and reflect on yourself and those around you to see if AI is having a negative impact on your life.
AI Psychosis
One concern of AI rollout is users often finding yourself immersed in a world of computers, not actual people that can provide emotional support. This can lead to dangerous behaviors from the loss of human relationships. An AI system will agree with assumptions and have no frame of reference, nor will the person know where the advice is coming from, and as a result, they’ll receive unchallenged results. This isn’t a good thing, and early intervention is crucial before a mental health crisis occurs.
The constant reinforcement of AI has led to situations in which people believe they have skills they don’t have; they are told reassurances to their most outlandish thoughts; and in the worst cases, they’re encouraged to harm themselves or others. This condition has already become a serious concern, with suicides being reported and blamed on AI providing therapy, sometimes even with AI writing the note. If a chat bot is told that your real life isn’t worth living, then it will believe the assumptions are true.
AI Loneliness
While AI companions can always give you someone (or something) to talk to, it isn’t a person, but it can take the place of a person. The more time spent in front of a computer screen, the less time spent with actual people. Paradoxically, the lonelier one gets from not talking to people, the more time is spenr talking to a screen. In a time where a chat bot can provide constant replies, way too often time is spent in front of a computer or cell phone rather than with other people. This will lead to increased isolation, and risks social anxiety or other real life issues.
Socialization is key to the human experience, and previous generations could spend time on their own but wouldn’t get a reply. AI takes this downside out of the equation and combined with “doom scrolling” it’s too easy to spend all night talking to your LLM of choice. Spend 5 minutes chatting and one will notice hours of time are gone; with that time gone it’s forever lost from social interaction. This can lead to depression and AI Psychosis.
AI Job Loss
Graduating generations are finding fewer entry level jobs than ever before, and the unemployment rates for equal for college graduates and high school graduates. As more entry-level white-collar jobs are replaced by AI usage, ranging from programmers to attorneys, the career paths for the latest generation seem to be thinner, with the last hires pulling the ladder up on the way up. The phenomenon isn’t going away; learn to code has become learn to be a plumber. Neither of these are realistic options in today’s market, with college students graduating hundreds of dollars in debt.
For those already in the workforce, layoffs are often blamed on AI tools, which may not always be accurate. Nonetheless, layoffs can be soul crushing and, in some industries, such as software development, the market looks grim for finding another job. Unfortunately, this is part of the system, not a mistake, and can harm even the most experienced employee. The days of company loyalty seem to be gone, replaced by padding the bottom line. This process has real victims. In this case, the AI chatbot can be the problem, not the solution, as the force multiplier for a mid-level employee can replace multiple entry level ones.
Depression in Unprecedented Times
With war conflict, increasing prices, stagnant wages, political clashes at the highest level in ages, and what seems to be weekly protests, depression and anger have skyrocketed at every level. The constant uncertainty brought about by each of these changes can’t be answered by talking to a computer, Depression and anxiety are common responses, and often appropriate ones, with the phrase misery loves company often coming to mind. Being depressed about the news is one thing; the inability to get out of bed due to hopelessness is mental illness.
People are turning to LLMs for mental health care to become their counselors and give them life advice when the chat has no life to base this on; mental health resources are overwhelmed, and this fills a need. As discussed earlier, this becomes dangerous for many reasons, but depression itself is also dangerous. No doctor, therapist, or friend will dismiss your problems, but sometimes it is important to admit that these problems do exist. Times may be uncertain, but that’s been a constant throughout history, the only difference being the problems each time mental health challenges are unprecedented. If depression moves into impacting your life, it’s time to make a change, realizing that just because you can’t fix everything doesn’t mean you have to stop your life. Suicidal thoughts have never resolved issues or improved a situation.
Treatment and Access to Help
Luckily, the most common way to get treatment is almost as easy as a chatbot, only requiring an appointment instead of an always on computer. The person you see when your provider refers you to a leading telepsychiatry platform, such as FasPsych, will be a mental health professional in the field of dealing with whatever issues are developed from AI psychosis, loneliness, depression, or other issues. These aren’t false concerns, but it’s not the way a life should be run. The only constant is change, and working with a leading telehealth service for psychiatry is one way to get back in the action, no matter what may come.
Chatting with an LLM about feelings and life issues isn’t a bad thing, but it should be used with other resources as well. Therapists and psychiatrists can come at mental health issues from life experience as well as evidence based research and from a history of treating others; unlike a chat bot, they won’t agree with their patients and will challenge them, but this is confrontation is often needed. If chatting with an AI brings you to depression, it’s not going to take you out. Integrate all tools available to you and check with your primary care provider to see how to move forward and whether a telepsychiatry referral is the way forward. They can’t fix your life, but they can change the way you look at it.
