Lab Notes: Can AI chatbots make you delusional?

Lab Notes: Can AI chatbots make you delusional?

From The Science Show by ABC Australia

May 14, 2026 · 11 min

About this episode

This episode explores the phenomenon of AI chatbot users experiencing delusions and the research investigating the causes behind these occurrences.

Stories of AI chatbot users drifting from our shared reality are increasingly common, often described as cases of AI delusions, delusional spirals, or AI psychosis. New research from Stanford University and the Human Line Project investigates the mechanisms behind these delusions, asking whether AI is making people more delusional or whether these chatbots are simply agreeing with delusional thinking. You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more. Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.au Featuring: James Purtill, technology reporter Further information: The Dynamics of Delusion: Modeling Bidirectional False Belief Amplification in Human-Chatbot Dialogue Characterizing Delusional Spirals through Human-LLM Chat Logs This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.

People in this episode

Host: Jonathan Webb

Guest: James Purtill

Topics covered

  • AI delusions
  • chatbots
  • psychology
  • human behavior
  • technology

Keywords

  • AI
  • chatbots
  • delusions
  • psychosis
  • Stanford University
  • Human Line Project
  • technology
  • human behavior

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford University, Human Line Project

Places: Gadigal, Ngunnawal, Ngambri

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