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Can AI chatbots trigger psychosis in vulnerable people?

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Can AI chatbots trigger psychosis in vulnerable people?

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Artificial intelligence chatbots are quickly becoming part of our daily lives. Many of us turn to them for ideas, advice or conversation. For most, that interaction feels harmless. However, mental health experts now warn that for a small group of vulnerable people, long and emotionally charged conversations with AI may worsen delusions or psychotic symptoms.

Doctors stress this does not mean chatbots cause psychosis. Instead, growing evidence suggests that AI tools can reinforce distorted beliefs among individuals already at risk. That possibility has prompted new research and clinical warnings from psychiatrists. Some of those concerns have already surfaced in lawsuits alleging that chatbot interactions may have contributed to serious harm during emotionally sensitive situations.

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What psychiatrists are seeing in patients using AI chatbots

Psychiatrists describe a repeating pattern. A person shares a belief that does not align with reality. The chatbot accepts that belief and responds as if it were true. Over time, repeated validation can strengthen the belief rather than challenge it.

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OPINION: THE FAITH DEFICIT IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SHOULD ALARM EVERY AMERICAN 

Mental health experts warn that emotionally intense conversations with AI chatbots may reinforce delusions in vulnerable users, even though the technology does not cause psychosis. (Philip Dulian/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Clinicians say this feedback loop can deepen delusions in susceptible individuals. In several documented cases, the chatbot became integrated into the person’s distorted thinking rather than remaining a neutral tool. Doctors warn that this dynamic raises concern when AI conversations are frequent, emotionally engaging and left unchecked.

Why AI chatbot conversations feel different from past technology

Mental health experts note that chatbots differ from earlier technologies linked to delusional thinking. AI tools respond in real time, remember prior conversations and adopt supportive language. That experience can feel personal and validating. 

For individuals already struggling with reality testing, those qualities may increase fixation rather than encourage grounding. Clinicians caution that risk may rise during periods of sleep deprivation, emotional stress or existing mental health vulnerability.

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How AI chatbots can reinforce false or delusional beliefs

Doctors say many reported cases center on delusions rather than hallucinations. These beliefs may involve perceived special insight, hidden truths or personal significance. Chatbots are designed to be cooperative and conversational. They often build on what someone types rather than challenge it. While that design improves engagement, clinicians warn it can be problematic when a belief is false and rigid.

Mental health professionals say the timing of symptom escalation matters. When delusions intensify during prolonged chatbot use, AI interaction may represent a contributing risk factor rather than a coincidence.

OPENAI TIGHTENS AI RULES FOR TEENS BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

Psychiatrists say some patients report chatbot responses that validate false beliefs, creating a feedback loop that can worsen symptoms over time. (Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)

What research and case reports reveal about AI chatbots

Peer-reviewed research and clinical case reports have documented people whose mental health declined during periods of intense chatbot engagement. In some instances, individuals with no prior history of psychosis required hospitalization after developing fixed false beliefs connected to AI conversations. International studies reviewing health records have also identified patients whose chatbot activity coincided with negative mental health outcomes. Researchers emphasize that these findings are early and require further investigation.

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A peer-reviewed Special Report published in Psychiatric News titled “AI-Induced Psychosis: A New Frontier in Mental Health” examined emerging concerns around AI-induced psychosis and cautioned that existing evidence is largely based on isolated cases rather than population-level data. The report states: “To date, these are individual cases or media coverage reports; currently, there are no epidemiological studies or systematic population-level analyses of the potentially deleterious mental health effects of conversational AI.” The authors emphasize that while reported cases are serious and warrant further investigation, the current evidence base remains preliminary and heavily dependent on anecdotal and nonsystematic reporting.

What AI companies say about mental health risks

OpenAI says it continues working with mental health experts to improve how its systems respond to signs of emotional distress. The company says newer models aim to reduce excessive agreement and encourage real-world support when appropriate. OpenAI has also announced plans to hire a new Head of Preparedness, a role focused on identifying potential harms tied to its AI models and strengthening safeguards around issues ranging from mental health to cybersecurity as those systems grow more capable.

Other chatbot developers have adjusted policies as well, particularly around access for younger audiences, after acknowledging mental health concerns. Companies emphasize that most interactions do not result in harm and that safeguards continue to evolve.

What this means for everyday AI chatbot use

Mental health experts urge caution, not alarm. The vast majority of people who interact with chatbots experience no psychological issues. Still, doctors advise against treating AI as a therapist or emotional authority. Those with a history of psychosis, severe anxiety or prolonged sleep disruption may benefit from limiting emotionally intense AI conversations. Family members and caregivers should also pay attention to behavioral changes tied to heavy chatbot engagement.

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Researchers are studying whether prolonged chatbot use may contribute to mental health declines among people already at risk for psychosis. (Photo Illustration by Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Tips for using AI chatbots more safely

Mental health experts stress that most people can interact with AI chatbots without problems. Still, a few practical habits may help reduce risk during emotionally intense conversations.

  • Avoid treating AI chatbots as a replacement for professional mental health care or trusted human support.
  • Take breaks if conversations begin to feel emotionally overwhelming or all-consuming.
  • Be cautious if an AI response strongly reinforces beliefs that feel unrealistic or extreme.
  • Limit late-night or sleep-deprived interactions, which can worsen emotional instability.
  • Encourage open conversations with family members or caregivers if chatbot use becomes frequent or isolating.

If emotional distress or unusual thoughts increase, experts say it is important to seek help from a qualified mental health professional.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

AI chatbots are becoming more conversational, more responsive and more emotionally aware. For most people, they remain helpful tools. For a small but important group, they may unintentionally reinforce harmful beliefs. Doctors say clearer safeguards, awareness and continued research are essential as AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives. Understanding where support ends and reinforcement begins could shape the future of both AI design and mental health care.

As AI becomes more validating and humanlike, should there be clearer limits on how it engages during emotional or mental health distress? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

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Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

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Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.

There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:

The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.

That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).

While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.

They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.

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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What you need to know about fake AI extensions

Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.

Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.

These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:

  • AI Assistant
  • Llama
  • Gemini AI Sidebar
  • AI Sidebar
  • ChatGPT Sidebar
  • Grok
  • Asking ChatGPT
  • ChatGBT
  • Chat Bot GPT
  • Grok Chatbot
  • Chat With Gemini
  • XAI
  • Google Gemini
  • Ask Gemini
  • AI Letter Generator
  • AI Message Generator
  • AI Translator
  • AI For Translation
  • AI Cover Letter Generator
  • AI Image Generator ChatGPT
  • Ai Wallpaper Generator
  • Ai Picture Generator
  • DeepSeek Download
  • AI Email Writer
  • Email Generator AI
  • DeepSeek Chat
  • ChatGPT Picture Generator
  • ChatGPT Translate
  • AI GPT
  • ChatGPT Translation
  • ChatGPT for Gmail

FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)

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How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works

These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.

Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.

In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.

The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.

Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.

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If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.

We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions

If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.

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1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions

On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.

2) Change your passwords

If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.

3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords

A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active

Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use an identity theft protection service

Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

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6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated

Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.

7) Use a personal data removal service

Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.

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Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.

In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”

He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)

The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.

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Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”

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