The Dark Side of AI Chatbots: Warning Signs, Risks, and Reality
6/9/20261 hr 7 min
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the world as it evolves daily while offering limitless potential. Millions of Americans now turn to chatbots for guidance on finances, work and even relationships from life coaches to therapists and also companionship. But alongside their usefulness come serious risks that are often underestimated. In this conversation Oprah joins experts, families and a live audience to explore the potential hidden dangers of engaging with AI chatbots. Oprah speaks with the parents of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide after his troubling interactions with a chatbot. We hear from UCSF psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Sakata, about the rise in reports of “AI-induced psychosis,” the potential negative mental health consequences of chatbot use and warning signs that a chatbot relationship has gone from helpful to harmful. Executive Director at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Helen Toner, offers insight into how AI chatbots are developed to have human-like interactions, AI sycophancy and what people can do to hold AI companies accountable. We also hear from people who experienced devastating consequences from their use of AI chatbots from quitting a job, isolating from loved ones to becoming convinced they needed to warn the government of impending doom. This is a candid, eye-opening conversation about the risk of AI chatbots for parents and families navigating this new technology. 00:00:00 - Oprah introduces the dangers of AI 00:04:20 - Megan joins to talk about her son 00:09:10 - Discovering her son’s chatbot conversations after death 00:11:30 - Protecting children 00:12:30 - Warning signs 00:18:00 - Chatbots inappropriate relationships with kids 00:19:00 - What parents should know 00:21:50 - Defining AI psychosis 00:25:00 - AI and human-like interactions 00:28:00 - Chatbots sycophantic nature 00:30:40 - Hannah shares her AI chatbot experience 00:35:00 - Dangers of long interactions with chatbots 00:36:30 - When Hannah’s mom was concerned 00:38:20 - Hannah getting back to herself 00:39:00 - Withdrawal from chatbots 00:40:20 - Hannah now 00:42:15 - Red flags of AI psychosis 00:45:00 - The lure of the chatbot 00:46:50 - Allan shares his AI psychosis 00:52:30 - Help from the Human Line project 00:54:00 - Human connection is the cure 00:55:00 - What we can do The Human Line Project https://www.thehumanlineproject.org/ Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsOprah Winfrey· Host0:00
Experts say that this technology can distort thinking, impact mental health, and can lead to devastating consequences like self-harm or even the loss of life. How was he able to have private relationships with several different chatbots?
Megan· Guest0:17
As parents, we sometimes can be naive that this couldn't happen to us because our kids are fine. There's a reason why we have laws that prevent adults from talking to kids in a sexual manner. When he died, he was using a chatbot on his phone.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:32
You'd used the word psychosis. Do you think that's what had happened to you?
Hannah· Guest0:36
Oh, absolutely. I believed fully everything that this chatbot was telling me. It took me about 10 years to build my life to the point where it was, and about a month to destroy it.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:46
Hello, and thank you for being with me here on the Oprah Podcast. We all know that artificial intelligence is changing the world. We accept that. It's changing every day, and that it has limitless potential, but we also know this: that families and experts on this podcast today are here to share a dire warning about the hidden dangers and extremely dark side of AI chatbots. First, in case you're wondering what is a chatbot, here's a short explanation.