Jonathan Webb

That was Titi Woot Setapaniksakung, a PhD student at University College London.

This episode of Lab Notes was made on Gadigal and Ngunnawal and Ngambri country, produced by Amy Briggs, and I'm Jonathan Webb.

I'll catch you next week.

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If you've interacted with an AI chatbot like ChatGPT or Claude, you will have noticed that the tone can be flattering or even sycophantic.

That's an excellent question.

It's no surprise that these bots are built to make us feel good and keep talking.

But what happens when the conversation starts to shift away from reality?

Research shows that AI chatbots can sustain delusional thinking to the point where it can become psychosis.

So today, join me on a test dive down the delusional spiral.

This is Lab Notes.

I'm Jonathan Webb, and today I'm speaking with our tech reporter in the Radio National Science Unit, James Patel.

He's been looking into the issue of AI-associated delusions.

Hi, James.

G'day, Jonathan.

Now, dear listener, we are going to talk about some pretty strange stuff today that might seem silly, but we will also discuss mental illness.

So please go gently and take care while listening.

James, have you ever had an AI back you up on something that you knew was bogus?

So how different do you think that sort of an interaction is from what two humans might have with one another and have had for a long time, right?