u/TrueCrime121

(Sorry it’s long one but there’s a lot needs discussing on the subject)

About a month ago, I probably wouldn’t have made this post without consulting a chat bot. These moments of realisations now serve as a reminder. As a guy with pre existing anxiety, depression & ADHD, I’ve recently experienced a bit of a downwards spiral. Along with this came a realisation. Is the technology I’m using to consult on these issues actually helping, or is it just creating a whole new layer of psychological problems? I could be wrong, but I honestly don’t feel like the chain of events that led to me quitting was extreme. I know far too many people using chat bots in a way similar to myself.

Last year I was faced with the prospect of staff parking being removed from my work. I wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t in a position to fight it. I needed answers, I installed grok and fired some questions across. Before long I had a detailed argument to put forward, referencing local planning regulations, the laws, and inevitably won the case. This was the big holy shit moment for me, I won a dispute I would likely never have fully committed to, using information I had no real knowledge of. From this point forward chat bots became my go to source of information. They were helpful, intelligent and unbiased.

Then recently I started seeing videos on “AI psychosis”. For the first time I began thinking about just how ingrained chat bots had become in my every day life. I’m not talking about seeing these things as a friend, I always remained aware of what I was dealing with. But what scared me the most was the realisation I had begun outsourcing most of my knowledge (and confidence). Decisions I would have made on my own or with the guidance of a friend were ultimately being influenced and guided by the advice of a chat bot.

The way these tools can integrate into your life with very little thought is frightening. We trust them, everybody uses them, you almost feel at a disadvantage if you’re the one who doesn’t. But I don’t think it’s that simple. If you’re anything like me, they are subtly influencing your thoughts in a way that distorts your identity, your decision making and view of the world. This isn’t some grand conspiracy I’m claiming and it won’t be the same for everyone. But the realisation came for me when I began asking myself “how would I feel about deleting the apps and not having this in my life?”. As sad as it sounds the idea scared me, I had become that reliant.

We’re all aware of the damage social media has done to society. It emerged as way to connect and be more social, it did the opposite. Statistics show a stark increase in mental health related problems since the birth of social media. My worry is that we’re sleepwalking into a similar scenario with AI. The more we rely on the intelligence of these machines, the less we use our own intelligence. Why ask a friend for advice when Claude is waiting with nothing but support and positive affirmations? I don’t want to discredit anyone using these tools as a therapist/ mental health support. A lot of people can’t access the support they need, so at surface level AI fills the gap well. But at the same time, a real therapist won’t encourage you to believe you were the smartest baby of 1996. That you should leave your life behind and start eating baby food in order to become that genius again (available on YouTube). AI doesn’t understand you, it just understands what you most likely want to hear.

This isn’t to say “EVERYONE NEEDS TO DELETE THEM NOW”. But if you haven’t already, just sit with the idea of going back to a life before AI assistance. I did, and so far I haven’t even considered going back. The shift is dramatic, I can see and feel the benefits. Take care of yourself