There’s lots of talk at the moment about AI psychosis and this article on the BBC is probably as good as any to sum up the issue: Microsoft boss troubled by rise in reports of ‘AI psychosis’. AI psychosis is where people increasingly rely on AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Grok and then become convinced that something imaginary has become real.

Before I say anything more about the point I make in my post title, a caveat. I am not referring to people who genuinely have mental health problems and who might be prone to suffering from psychoses of any kind. Also, I am not a professional that can diagnose and understands all the different forms of psychoses. I also do not mean to belittle or demean anyone that might be suffering from any type of mental illness.

I am referring to regular, otherwise mentally well people who are still predisposed to delusional thinking.

There are many different factors that go into making a person psychotic and delusional thinking is one of them. People that have false beliefs that are not based in reality. But you don’t have to have a mental illness or psychotic predisposition to be delusional.

And there are many such people around. People who are not grounded in reality. We know there is an abundance of them around. Here is a short list of just some of the types:

• Conspiracy theorists
• Alternative medicine quacks
• Hard core religious fundamentalists that take their faith and belief to the extreme
• Cultists
• Believers in the paranormal and supernatural
• Flat earthers

Speaking of religion, and in the words of a famous Buddhist sage:

My religion is not deceiving myself.

– Milarepa

I think we are all of us, mentally fit people, capable of deceiving ourselves and believing in delusions. And that is what you have to guard against. That should be your religion, not deceiving yourself. Have a faith by all means but don’t start living in an alternative reality.

How to deal with AI Psychosis

Yes AI has very likely got past the famous Turing test stage.

Yes AI has likely got to the “seemingly conscious AI” stage where it gives the appearance of being sentient.

We don’t yet know how much further it will go but at the pace of change we are seeing currently, you can guess how mind-blowing it’s going to be. On a par or beyond human abilities even.

My suggestion is we probably have to use the same basis of judgement as we might use dealing with people.

Or specifically with charlatans, fakes, imposters, etc. Or the thinking and writing that comes from these people.

If what you are reading or listening to does not align with your belief of reality, then discard it. And constantly examine your views and beliefs, subject them to critical thinking.

Do the same with everything in the world you encounter which will increasingly include output created by AI.

Critical thinking is not some elusive skill. It just requires concentrated effort and discernment that allows us to discard what does not accord with reality.

Be aware of your responses. Be awake and alert. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of reality influenced by anyone or anything, human or artificial.