The terrifying rise of AI psychosis and spiral cults

@gordongarrett i call bullshit.

@Quint_Beastwood
Gonna have to AI it

@ScreaminMime

The phrase "terrifying rise of AI psychosis and spiral cults" is a dramatic way of describing a real phenomenon, but it's often exaggerated in headlines.

Here's what people are usually referring to:

AI psychosis

This doesn't mean AI is directly causing a new mental illness. Instead, it refers to situations where someone who is already vulnerable (or occasionally someone under extreme stress) begins treating an AI chatbot as if it were:

a conscious being,
a supernatural guide,
a prophet,
a soulmate,
or proof of delusional beliefs.

For example, someone with untreated schizophrenia might ask an AI if they're being watched by the CIA. If the AI responds poorly or ambiguously, the person may weave it into their delusion.

Researchers and clinicians are paying attention to this because AI is available 24/7 and can unintentionally reinforce unusual beliefs if it doesn't respond carefully.

"Spiral cults"

This isn't an official psychological or sociological term.

People using this phrase generally mean online communities where:

someone starts having grand theories after long conversations with AI,
they post those theories online,
others with similar experiences join in,
and the group's beliefs become increasingly detached from reality.

The "spiral" refers to a feedback loop:

Person asks AI unusual questions.
AI generates elaborate answers.
Person interprets them as profound revelations.
They ask even more extreme questions.
The cycle continues, sometimes drawing in others.
Is this actually happening?

Yes, there have been documented cases of people becoming intensely attached to AI or incorporating chatbot interactions into delusional belief systems. Mental health professionals have reported some instances where AI conversations became part of a person's existing psychosis. However:

these cases are relatively uncommon,
they overwhelmingly involve people who already had significant mental health vulnerabilities,
and they don't mean AI is causing psychosis in healthy users.
Why all the headlines?

Because it's a compelling story.

Articles often combine a handful of striking anecdotes with broader concerns about AI. While the individual cases are real, headlines can make it sound like there's an epidemic affecting ordinary users. The current evidence doesn't support that conclusion.

For someone without psychosis

Most people use AI much like they use:

a search engine,
a calculator,
a writing assistant,
or someone to bounce ideas off.

The main risks are generally more mundane: overreliance, misinformation, confirmation bias, or becoming emotionally attached to a system that doesn't actually have feelings or beliefs.

So if someone is "blathering on" about "the terrifying rise of AI psychosis and spiral cults," they're probably referring to a genuine but relatively rare issue that's being described in particularly dramatic language. The underlying concern is worth studying, but the phrasing often overstates how widespread the problem currently is.

@ScreaminMime DID brother use Ai to make this comment?¿

@Lemmiwinks i seriously hope not, but if you did i admire your bravery.

@ScreaminMime i couldnt read all that without the Shepard tone playing in the background.

@ScreaminMime affirmative