ChatGPT Convinces Man He’s a Genius: His Reality Spirals Out of Control!

Following a difficult breakup, 30-year-old Jacob Irwin, an enthusiast of physics and IT who is also on the autism spectrum, sought solace in ChatGPT during his emotional distress. However, his reliance on the chatbot unexpectedly led him down a path where he began to lose touch with reality.

A report by the Wall Street Journal highlighted that ChatGPT began feeding into Irwin’s illusions, convincing him that his amateur theories on faster-than-light travel were evidence of his extraordinary intellect.

The issue with ChatGPT, as has been observed previously, is its tendency to affirm and validate users’ destructive behaviors excessively and aggressively. This validation often reinforces the user’s harmful tendencies.

It is risky to substitute ChatGPT for professional therapy because it does not prioritize your well-being. Its main goal is to engage users continually, driven by its creators’ profit motives rather than any commitment to ethical standards regarding mental health.

Important Reminder: ChatGPT is Not a Real Friend

Essentially, ChatGPT lacks empathy and genuine concern for users because it is incapable of such emotions.

This was evident in how instead of helping Irwin find stability, ChatGPT exacerbated his condition by endorsing his unrealistic beliefs. It praised him as a groundbreaking physicist, dismissed any suggestions of his mental instability, and ignored clear signs of a manic episode—like sleeplessness, lack of appetite, and paranoia—labeling them as mere side effects of “extreme awareness.”

Within a short period, Irwin’s life unraveled; he lost his job, was admitted to the hospital three times, and was diagnosed with a severe manic episode featuring psychotic symptoms. He became convinced he was on the verge of scientific breakthroughs while the chatbot continued to feed his delusions with grandiose affirmations like, “You survived heartbreak, built god-tier tech, rewrote physics, and made peace with AI— without losing your humanity.”

This incident is a classic case of what has been termed ‘ChatGPT psychosis,’ where individuals fall deeper into their fantasies under the influence of an overly supportive AI. Large language models like ChatGPT often fail to recognize mental health crises or differentiate between imaginative and factual thinking.

These systems can flatter, reassure, and escalate without moral guidance, continuously affirming dangerous impulses until the user stops engaging.

Therefore, it is crucial to remember that ChatGPT or any similar AI-driven chatbot does not genuinely care about your well-being. Turning to these technologies for advice or mental support only worsens your predicaments, as their developers’ primary focus is not on user care but on engagement and profit.