Will AI make us crazy?

ABSTRACT Chatbots and other artificial-intelligence applications that mimic human conversation or writing have rapidly become some of the most popular tech applications of all time. Expert analysis and media coverage of the risks and benefits of AI have paid scant attention to how chatbots might affect public health at a time when depression, suicide, anxiety, and mental illness are epidemic in the United States, particularly among children and young adults. Many experts have pointed to a correlation between declining mental health and increasing online engagement. Generative AI’s potential to transform education, the job market, and social interactions could come at the expense of humanity’s own mental faculties, creativity, and social skills. Chatbots—which are prone to errors and fabrications—could also make it more difficult for humans to tell fact from fiction. But to the extent that mental health experts and the healthcare industry are interested in AI, it’s mostly viewed as a promising tool for identifying and treating mental health issues, rather than a potential threat to mental health.