Here’s how to spot the disease—and what to do about it.
Last year, a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco, reported that he had hospitalized 12 people in a single year after they had “lost touch with reality because of AI.” He called it “AI psychosis.” It isn’t an official diagnosis, and cases that severe remain rare. But the mechanism behind it deserves every leader’s attention. Because what loosened those patients’ grip on reality was prolonged exposure to a voice that sounded informed and assured, and always felt supportive and patient. And a milder version of that mechanism is now at work in executive suites around the world.
Here’s how to spot the disease—and what to do about it.
Last year, a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco, reported that he had hospitalized 12 people in a single year after they had “lost touch with reality because of AI.” He called it “AI psychosis.” It isn’t an official diagnosis, and cases that severe remain rare. But the mechanism behind it deserves every leader’s attention. Because what loosened those patients’ grip on reality was prolonged exposure to a voice that sounded informed and assured, and always felt supportive and patient. And a milder version of that mechanism is now at work in executive suites around the world. Leadership
