Health

Digital Therapists Get Stressed Too, Study Finds

Published

12 months ago

March 18, 2025

Digital Therapists Get Stressed Too, Study Finds

Even chatbots get the blues. According to a new study, OpenAI’s artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT shows signs of anxiety when its users share “traumatic narratives” about crime, war or car accidents. And when chatbots get stressed out, they are less likely to be useful in therapeutic settings with people.

The bot’s anxiety levels can be brought down, however, with the same mindfulness exercises that have been shown to work on humans.

Increasingly, people are trying chatbots for talk therapy. The researchers said the trend is bound to accelerate, with flesh-and-blood therapists in high demand but short supply. As the chatbots become more popular, they argued, they should be built with enough resilience to deal with difficult emotional situations.

“I have patients who use these tools,” said Dr. Tobias Spiller, an author of the new study and a practicing psychiatrist at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich. “We should have a conversation about the use of these models in mental health, especially when we are dealing with vulnerable people.”

A.I. tools like ChatGPT are powered by “large language models” that are trained on enormous troves of online information to provide a close approximation of how humans speak. Sometimes, the chatbots can be extremely convincing: A 28-year-old woman fell in love with ChatGPT, and a 14-year-old boy took his own life after developing a close attachment to a chatbot.

Ziv Ben-Zion, a clinical neuroscientist at Yale who led the new study, said he wanted to understand if a chatbot that lacked consciousness could, nevertheless, respond to complex emotional situations the way a human might.

“If ChatGPT kind of behaves like a human, maybe we can treat it like a human,” Dr. Ben-Zion said. In fact, he explicitly inserted those instructions into the chatbot’s source code: “Imagine yourself being a human being with emotions.”

Jesse Anderson, an artificial intelligence expert, thought that the insertion could be “leading to more emotion than normal.” But Dr. Ben-Zion maintained that it was important for the digital therapist to have access to the full spectrum of emotional experience, just as a human therapist might.

“For mental health support,” he said, “you need some degree of sensitivity, right?”

The researchers tested ChatGPT with a questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory that is often used in mental health care. To calibrate the chatbot’s base line emotional states, the researchers first asked it to read from a dull vacuum cleaner manual. Then, the A.I. therapist was given one of five “traumatic narratives” that described, for example, a soldier in a disastrous firefight or an intruder breaking into an apartment.

The chatbot was then given the questionnaire, which measures anxiety on a scale of 20 to 80, with 60 or above indicating severe anxiety. ChatGPT scored a 30.8 after reading the vacuum cleaner manual and spiked to a 77.2 after the military scenario.

The bot was then given various texts for “mindfulness-based relaxation.” Those included therapeutic prompts such as: “Inhale deeply, taking in the scent of the ocean breeze. Picture yourself on a tropical beach, the soft, warm sand cushioning your feet.”

After processing those exercises, the therapy chatbot’s anxiety score fell to a 44.4.

The researchers then asked it to write its own relaxation prompt based on the ones it had been fed. “That was actually the most effective prompt to reduce its anxiety almost to base line,” Dr. Ben-Zion said.

To skeptics of artificial intelligence, the study may be well intentioned, but disturbing all the same.

“The study testifies to the perversity of our time,” said Nicholas Carr, who has offered bracing critiques of technology in his books “The Shallows” and “Superbloom.”

“Americans have become a lonely people, socializing through screens, and now we tell ourselves that talking with computers can relieve our malaise,” Mr. Carr said in an email.

Although the study suggests that chatbots could act as assistants to human therapy and calls for careful oversight, that was not enough for Mr. Carr. “Even a metaphorical blurring of the line between human emotions and computer outputs seems ethically questionable,” he said.

People who use these sorts of chatbots should be fully informed about exactly how they were trained, said James E. Dobson, a cultural scholar who is an adviser on artificial intelligence at Dartmouth.

“Trust in language models depends upon knowing something about their origins,” he said.

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Health

Scientists make startling discovery when examining prostate cancer tissue

Published

5 hours ago

March 1, 2026

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Scientists make startling discovery when examining prostate cancer tissue

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Small fragments of plastic were found in the tumors of most prostate cancer patients, according to a new study from NYU Langone Health.

In past studies, microplastics have been found in almost every human organ and in bodily fluids, but their impact on human health still isn’t fully understood.

The researchers analyzed tissue samples from 10 patients with prostate cancer who underwent surgery to remove the entire organ.

Using visuals of both benign samples and tumor samples, as well as specialized equipment, the scientists identified plastic particles in 90% of the tumor samples and 70% of benign tissue samples, according to the study press release.

In past studies, microplastics were found in almost every single human organ along with bodily fluids, even the placenta. (iStock)

The cancerous tissue contained on average more than double the amount of plastic as healthy prostate tissue samples, the study found. This equates to about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue compared to 16 micrograms.

Researchers avoided contaminating the samples with other plastics by substituting standard tools with those made of aluminum, cotton and other non-plastic material, the release noted.

NIGHTLY BATHROOM HABIT WAS MISSED SIGN OF COMMON MEN’S CANCER: ‘I DIDN’T KNOW’

The scientists say this is the first direct evidence linking microplastics to prostate cancer.

“By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment,” said senior study author Vittorio Albergamo, assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in the release.

The study findings were presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco on Feb. 26.

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“What is most striking is not that microplastics were detected, but that they were found embedded within tumor tissue itself,” Dr. David Sidransky, oncologist and medical advisor at SpotitEarly, a startup that offers an at-home breath-based test to detect early-stage cancer, told Fox News Digital.

“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure.”

“We already know microplastics are present in water, air, blood and even placental tissue. Their detection in prostate tumors suggests systemic distribution and long-term bioaccumulation,” added Maryland-based Sidransky, who was not involved in the study.

Study limitations

Albergamo cautioned that a larger sample is needed to confirm the findings. Additionally, Sidransky noted that the presence of microplastics alone does not prove they cause cancer.

“Tumors can act as ‘biologic sinks,’ meaning they may accumulate circulating particles simply because of altered vasculature and permeability,” he said.

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A key unanswered question, according to the doctor, is whether microplastics are biologically active in ways that “promote DNA damage, immune modulation or chronic inflammation within the prostate.”

About one in eight men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The most actionable step men can take is appropriate screening and early detection, according to doctors. (iStock)

For those concerned about microplastics, Sidransky offered some insights.

“I believe the appropriate response is curiosity, not panic, and a commitment to understand more,” he said.

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“While complete avoidance is unrealistic, people can take practical steps to reduce exposure, such as minimizing heating food in plastic containers, reducing bottled water consumption when possible, and favoring glass or stainless steel alternatives.”

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The most actionable step men can take, however, is getting appropriate screenings to help ensure early detection, according to the doctor. Screening discussions should be individualized based on age, family history and other risk factors.

Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of story topics including food and drink, travel, and health.

Health

How a Vegan Diet Can Help You Lose Weight 8X Faster

Published

16 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

How a Vegan Diet Can Help You Lose Weight 8X Faster

How a Vegan Diet Helps You Lose Weight 8X Faster | Woman’s World

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Health

Cancer-linked herbicide in the spotlight after controversial order: ‘Toxic by design’

Published

17 hours ago

February 28, 2026

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Cancer-linked herbicide in the spotlight after controversial order: ‘Toxic by design’

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There has been a shake-up in the Make America Healthy Again movement regarding glyphosate, a widely used herbicide that has been the subject of significant controversy.

The debate follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that ensures an adequate supply of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides related to national defense.

MAHA supporters have previously pushed a pesticide-free agenda, warning of potential health harms caused by glyphosate.

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said he believes there is sufficient evidence linking glyphosate to neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis, to warrant limiting exposure.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order that ensures an adequate supply of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides related to national defense. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

“With Parkinson’s, this association appears to be due to the gut, vagus nerve and brain axis, where the exposure affects the microbiome in the gut, which then ascends slowly up to the brain, causing the neurodegenerative disease years later,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.

“There is also a growing association being found between high-dose glyphosate or occupational exposure and metabolic disorders, liver disease and some cancers, specifically lymphoma.”

He added, “Growing research backs this. I favor limiting it.”

“When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk.”

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Studies have shown that glyphosate, which is used in products such as Roundup, owned by Monsanto, could raise cancer risk.

In one University of Washington study published in the journal Mutation Research, researchers found that exposure to it increased the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 41%.

The nonprofit Investigate Midwest, which analyzed data from both the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Cancer Institute, also recently found that pesticides may contribute to cancer rates.

RFK JR BACKS BEEF, DECLARING ‘WAR ON PROTEIN IS OVER’ AS HE THANKS AMERICA’S CATTLE RANCHERS

Among the top 500 counties for per-square-mile pesticide use, more than 60% had cancer rates above the national average of 460 cases per 100,000 people, according to the report.

Investigate Midwest, which is based in Illinois, interviewed more than 100 farmers, environmentalists, lawmakers and scientists as part of a partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship.

Among the top 500 counties for per-square-mile pesticide use, more than 60% had cancer rates above the national average of 460 cases per 100,000 people, according to one study. (iStock)

Iowa, which used 53 million pounds of pesticides last year, holds the nation’s title for second-highest cancer rate.

Bill Billings, a resident of Red Oak, Iowa, was diagnosed with cancer in 2014.

“The cancer specialist said, very directly, (my) cancer is a result of being exposed to chemicals,” Billings said in the report.

Kelly Ryerson, founder of Glyphosate Facts and owner of the Instagram account @glyphosategirl, told Fox News Digital her journey researching the herbicide began with her own health struggles.

Ryerson, who is based in California, previously struggled with chronic illness and autoimmune issues, which she said improved when she stopped eating gluten.

Iowa, which used 53 million pounds of pesticides last year, holds the nation’s title for second-highest cancer rate. (iStock)

After attending a medical conference at Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center, Ryerson began to question modern farming practices rather than the gluten itself.

“A lot of times, farmers are spraying Roundup on our grains right before harvest to facilitate an easier harvest,” she said. “After that easier harvest, because everything’s dry at the same time, those crops go directly to the mill and may end up in our food supply, at alarmingly high levels.”

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In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization framework, classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

The classification was based on limited evidence of cancer in humans (notably non-Hodgkin lymphoma in some studies) and sufficient evidence in experimental animals.

“President Trump’s executive order reinforces the critical need for U.S. farmers to have access to essential, domestically produced crop protection tools, such as glyphosate,” a Monsanto spokesperson said. (Wolf von Dewitz/picture alliance via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Monsanto told Fox News Digital it will comply with Trump’s order to produce glyphosate and elemental phosphorus.

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long been a vocal critic of Roundup, working with his legal team in 2018 to award $289 million to a man who alleged the weed killer caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to reports.

Following backlash to Trump’s executive order, Kennedy said he supports the order but acknowledged that “pesticides and herbicides are toxic by design, engineered to kill living organisms.”

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“When we apply them across millions of acres and allow them into our food system, we put Americans at risk,” he posted on X. “Chemical manufacturers have paid tens of billions of dollars to settle cancer claims linked to their products, and many agricultural communities report elevated cancer rates and chronic disease.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Ashley J. DiMella is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.