FEATURED MEDICAL EDUCATION TOPIC: Delusions in the Digital Age: Internet-Exacerbated and AI-Induced Psychosis

What is the problem?

The internet, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) have reshaped how people seek out medical information. This lecture reviews examples of how internet-based self-diagnosis can lead to embracing alternative explanations and false beliefs about being medically or psychiatrically ill. It concludes with a discussion of how interactions with AI chatbots have been associated with following potentially dangerous medical advice and reinforcing delusional thinking.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the learners will be able to:

• Identify reasons that patients seek out medical information on the internet
• List examples of how medical misinformation can lead to erroneous self-diagnosis
• Enumerate risk factors for “AI-associated psychosis”

If your medical staff needs an update on Delusion, AI-induced Psychosis, consider contacting our office to book a speaker at 877-505-4777 or info@speakersnetwork.com.

REFERENCES

Burns A et al. The algorithm is hacked”: an analysis of technology delusions in a modern-day cohort. Brit J Psychiatry (in press).

Pulman A et al. Munchausen by Internet: Current Research and Future Directions. J Med Internet Res 2012;14(4):e115

Frey J et al. TikTok Tourette’s: Are We Witnessing a Rise in Functional Tic-Like Behavior Driven by Adolescent Social Media Use? 

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2022 Dec 5;15:3575–3585

Pierre JM. AI chatbots may validate delusions and delusion-like beliefs. BMJ (in press)