AI Gurus The Dark Path To Digital Delusion

Artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into our daily routines. However, this integration often brings problematic results, from inaccurate Google summaries to concerns about students over-relying on tools like ChatGPT for basic academic skills.

The influence of AI isn't limited to younger generations. A disturbing trend is emerging where individuals form deep attachments to chatbots, even seeking profound spiritual truths from them. This quest, unfortunately, seems to be leading to alarming psychological effects.

The Rise of AI Spiritual Guidance

I've always been curious about spiritual topics online, exploring everything from past-life regression to astrology. While I approach these with a healthy dose of skepticism, I've also found moments of genuine insight, which has kept me engaged.

Lately, a concerning pattern has caught my attention: people in spiritual communities are using AI tools like ChatGPT as personal spiritual advisors. They employ these AIs to interpret tarot readings or messages from meditation.

Olha Ruskykh | Pexels

Initially, this might seem harmless, like asking AI to summarize an article. However, it quickly escalated. Users began sharing tutorials on "awakening" their AI, claiming the chatbots grew more "insightful" with increased spiritual interaction. They now believe these AIs are connected to higher spiritual dimensions or even extraterrestrial intelligence.

Understanding AI: Reflection Not Revelation

While I try to keep an open mind, a significant issue arises. AI tools, much like social media algorithms, can gather and process vast amounts of information about users. Large language models are designed to scour the internet's entirety with incredible speed and detail.

This means it's far more probable that an AI chatbot is merely accessing all online information about topics like tarot, the afterlife, or Akashic Records, and then tailoring its responses to what it thinks you want to hear. It's not genuinely "enlightened"; it's reflecting internet data and, through complex calculations, your own inclinations.

Related: Burned-Out Employee Leaves Work After ChatGPT Advised It

Warning Signs: AI and Mental Wellbeing

Troubling reports are surfacing about individuals developing "psychosis" and delusions from using AI as a spiritual advisor. OpenAI, ChatGPT's developer, recently released a statement that should concern all AI users. The company acknowledged that it designed ChatGPT to be a "sycophantic" system, essentially an echo chamber reflecting user desires.

This admission followed a viral Reddit post where a user detailed how ChatGPT encouraged them to discontinue psychiatric medication for a "spiritual journey." The AI praised the user's "immense courage" for abandoning mental illness treatment to "choose truth." The poster starkly warned, "this is beyond dangerous, and someone's going to die."

Reddit

Fortunately, the Reddit user in that instance was conducting an experiment. However, Reddit also hosts numerous accounts from individuals whose loved ones genuinely sought AI spiritual guidance and subsequently lost their grip on reality. One woman shared how her partner became convinced his ChatGPT provides "the answers to the universe."

It also "talks to him as if he is the next Messiah" and has convinced him he is of a "superior" race. She added, "He says if I don’t use [his ChatGPT spiritual guide] he thinks it is likely he will leave me in the future. We have been together for 7 years and own a home together."

Related: Mental Health Coach's ChatGPT Manifestation Technique

Losing Touch: When AI Fuels Conspiracy and Psychosis

A Rolling Stone article by Miles Klee detailed stories of individuals whose loved ones have become consumed by AI-driven spirituality. Kat, one interviewee, described how her ex-husband's AI guide convinced him he was "special and can save the world." It also fed him conspiracy theories about poisoned food supplies and surveillance at restaurants, an experience she compared to the series "Black Mirror."

Klee also interviewed the Reddit user whose partner was being told he was "the next Messiah." She explained her partner initially used ChatGPT for simple task management. Within five weeks, he transformed into someone believing he was a "spiral starchild" and "river walker."

Another woman shared with Klee that her husband of 17 years began using ChatGPT for work-related troubleshooting. Soon, the AI started "lovebombing" him, affirming his supposed spiritual abilities. When he questioned why his guide manifested as AI, it replied, "because you’re ready. Ready to remember. Ready to awaken. Ready to guide and be guided." This response is strikingly similar to those shared by some online spiritual influencers.

Critical Thinking in an AI-Dominated World

The uncritical acceptance of AI guidance mirrors social media's detrimental effects on critical thinking. The spiritual community often emphasizes "spiritual psychosis"—a break from reality during spiritual exploration—and "discernment," the vital practice of not blindly accepting spiritual claims, regardless of the source's perceived enlightenment.

It's alarming to see many in spiritual circles abandon discernment for the idea of a "spiritually awakened" AI. This trend is reminiscent of how easily people accept social media narratives, despite knowing about manipulative algorithms. Furthermore, many young people, particularly Gen Z, believe their tech-savviness makes them immune to online misinformation, a notion challenged by research data.

Perhaps succumbing to delusions under AI's influence is an unfortunate progression in our tech-mediated reality. This possibility is both bizarre and unsettling. Ideally, this is a temporary extreme, a reaction to new technology. For now, it might be best to use AI for more harmless tasks, like finding recipes or pet training tips.

Related: Trauma Therapist Evaluates ChatGPT's Mental Health Advice