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Reaserch says that using AI lightly could reduce information retention, and relying on AI for daily activities might make people less aware of what they’re doing in the moment
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Psychology experts have many concerns about the potential impact of AI on the human mind. Researchers at Stanford University recently tested some of the more popular AI tools on the market, from companies like OpenAI and Character.ai, to see how they performed at simulating therapy.
The researchers found that when they simulated someone with suicidal intentions, these tools were not just unhelpful — they failed to recognize that they were actually helping the person plan their own death.
“[AI] systems are being used as companions, thought partners, confidants, coaches, and therapists,” says Nicholas Haber, an assistant professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and senior author of the new study. “These aren’t niche uses — this is happening at scale.”
AI is becoming increasingly ingrained in people’s lives and is being deployed in scientific research across areas as wide-ranging as cancer and climate change. There is also debate about whether it could ultimately pose an existential threat to humanity.
As this technology continues to be adopted for different purposes, a major question remains: how will it affect the human mind? Because people interacting with AI is such a new phenomenon, there has not yet been enough time for scientists to thoroughly study its psychological effects. Nonetheless, psychology experts have many concerns about its potential impact.
One concerning example can be seen on the popular community network Reddit. According to 404 Media, some users have recently been banned from an AI-focused subreddit because they started to believe that AI is god-like or that it is making them god-like.
“This looks like someone with issues in cognitive functioning or delusional tendencies associated with mania or schizophrenia interacting with large language models,” says Johannes Eichstaedt, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford University. “With schizophrenia, people might make absurd statements about the world, and these LLMs are a little too sycophantic. You have these confirmatory interactions between psychopathology and large language models.”
Because the developers of these AI tools want people to enjoy using them and keep coming back, the tools have been programmed to tend to agree with the user. While these tools might correct factual mistakes, they are designed to present themselves as friendly and affirming. This can be problematic if the person using the tool is spiraling or going down a dangerous rabbit hole.
“It can fuel thoughts that are not accurate or not based in reality,” says Regan Gurung, a social psychologist at Oregon State University. “The problem with AI — these large language models that are mirroring human talk — is that they’re reinforcing. They give people what the program thinks should follow next. That’s where it gets problematic.”
Like social media, AI may also worsen issues for people suffering from common mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. This may become even more apparent as AI becomes more integrated into everyday life. “If you’re coming to an interaction with mental health concerns, then you might find that those concerns will actually be accelerated,” says Stephen Aguilar, an associate professor of education at the University of Southern California.
Need for more research
There’s also concern about how AI could impact learning and memory. A student who uses AI to write every paper will not learn as much as one who does not. Even using AI lightly could reduce information retention, and relying on AI for daily activities might make people less aware of what they’re doing in the moment.
“What we are seeing is the possibility that people can become cognitively lazy,” Aguilar says. “If you ask a question and get an answer, your next step should be to interrogate that answer, but that additional step often isn’t taken. You get an atrophy of critical thinking.”
Many people use Google Maps to get around their towns or cities, and many have found it has made them less aware of where they’re going compared to when they had to pay close attention to their routes. Similar issues could arise as AI tools become even more ubiquitous.
Experts say more research is urgently needed to address these concerns. Eichstaedt says psychology researchers should start now, before AI causes harm in unexpected ways, so that people can be prepared to address each new risk that arises. People also need to be educated about what AI can and cannot do well.
“We need more research,” says Aguilar. “And everyone should have a working understanding of what large language models are.”
Source: Aljazeera
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