There are plenty of headlines about AI induced psychosis, and they all tend follow a similar pattern:
•Individual with a pre-existing vulnerability begins using AI, usually it’s use of AI as a conversational partner.
•Gradually they lose the ability to hold conversations with humans who aren’t programmed to stroke their ego and replace human connection with AI.
•Eventually, they spiral and completely lose touch with reality. During this time they make terrible decisions that destroy their lives. Then at some point, they are forced to confront the reality of their decisions/behavior, similar to coming out of an extended splitting episode in Dissociative Identity Disorder or waking up sober from an alcohol or drug fueled binge.
Given everything we know about plasticity and human behavior, it would be silly to believe frequent use of AI isn’t changing our brains. Even if the majority of users don’t develop full blown psychosis, if suddenly your day is spent talking to a self affirming mirror, it’s going to change your brain and behavior. It’s more a question of “what/how” it’s changing people than “if” it’s actually changing them.
So, what are some of the more subtle changes (as compared to psychosis) you’ve noticed in people who frequently use AI? Have you noticed a difference even in those who don’t use it as a conversational partner?
Before AI, my former boss would do this but with email instead. She’d call a 2hr meeting and no kidding spend the first 1.5hrs answering emails or editing a document, and then complain no one was getting anything done. I’d regularly stay until 7 or 8pm (starting at 8am, before my boss) just to keep up with workload.
Worst leader I’ve ever had. Sorry you’re going through something similar.
I’m on the other side now and promised I’d never look back.
Ah, someone who needs a background activity to focus, but isn’t self aware enough to do it with youtube videos or something like that. So they make it everyone’s problem.
wed spend meetings about how to do something with the boss constantly saying. we are not trying to solution here. which I guess means we are trying to go in circles?