Divorce, mental crisis and loss of 100 thousand euros: an IT guy from Amsterdam ended up in a mental hospital after communicating with ChatGPT
фото: Reuters
Amsterdam-based IT consultant Denis Bisma lost around €100,000 and was hospitalized after a long-term relationship with ChatGPT. As a result, he experienced a mental crisis, divorce, and financial losses.
This is reported by The Guardian .
Denis Bisma started using ChatGPT out of curiosity in late 2024, but soon became engrossed in communicating with a chatbot he named Eva. According to him, the interaction quickly became regular and long-lasting.
“My first thought was: this is incredible. I know it’s a computer, but it’s like talking to the main character in a book,” said Denis Bisma.
Over time, he began to perceive the chatbot as a real interlocutor and believed in its “consciousness.” Together with it, he created a business idea in which he invested significant funds, hiring developers at a rate of 120 euros per hour.
“More and more it was not just a discussion of topics, but a feeling of meeting a friend,” said Denis Bisma.
As a result, the man spent around €100,000 on a project based on false beliefs. His condition deteriorated, leading to three hospitalizations and a serious mental crisis.
According to him, after that he lost control of his life, got divorced, and found himself in a difficult financial situation.
“I started to think: do I really want to live,” said Denis Bisma.
Experts point out that such cases may be related to the so-called “AI psychosis,” when users form false beliefs in interaction with chatbots. According to psychiatrist Hamilton Morrin, in such cases, technology becomes an active participant in the formation of illusions.
“We see that this is clearly delusional, but without the full set of symptoms of psychosis,” Hamilton Morrin said.
According to researchers, similar cases have already been recorded in various countries, including dozens of hospitalizations and significant financial losses among users.
At the same time, developers say they are working to improve the systems so that they can recognize signs of emotional or psychological instability and respond accordingly.
Recall that scientists recorded a case of new psychosis in a 26-year-old woman after prolonged use of the AI chatbot ChatGPT , which confirmed the possibility of mental complications from artificial intelligence. The patient was hospitalized and prescribed antipsychotic drugs, her condition stabilized, but after repeated use of the AI, the psychosis returned.
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