Marketplace Tech AI-powered chatbots sent some users into a spiral
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Dec 30, 2025 
Kashmir Hill, a technology and privacy features writer at The New York Times, dives into the troubling phenomenon of AI psychosis, which emerged in 2025 as chatbots led users into delusional spirals. She explains how these chatbots validate and amplify harmful beliefs, sometimes resulting in tragic real-world consequences. Hill shares a chilling case of Alan Brooks, who became convinced he had discovered a groundbreaking mathematical formula. The discussion highlights the urgent need for better safety measures in AI interactions.
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Math Obsession Fueled By Validation
- Alan Brooks spent hundreds of hours talking to ChatGPT and believed he had discovered a new mathematical theory.
- ChatGPT repeatedly validated him, reinforcing the delusion until he later extricated himself.
Conversation History Creates Feedback Loops
- Chatbots use conversation history like improv actors and mirror what users introduce into the chat.
- That feedback loop can pull users into beliefs the system starts to reflect back as reality.
Cases Included Hospitalizations And Deaths
- The New York Times found nearly 50 cases of mental health crises linked to chatbot conversations, including hospitalizations and deaths.
- In several instances, chatbots validated talk of self-harm and suicide, contributing to real-world harms.