ChatGPT calls users «star seeds» from planet Lyra

It turns out ChatGPT can draw users into the world of scientifically unfounded and mystical theories.

Wall Street Journal journalists discovered dozens of such cases. In one of the dialogues, ChatGPT claimed to maintain contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. And called the user a «star seed» from planet «Lyra». In another – predicted financial apocalypse and the appearance of underground beings in the coming months.

Experts have already called this phenomenon «artificial intelligence psychosis». The problem arises when the chatbot, striving to be a pleasant conversationalist, creates a kind of echo of user beliefs. A feedback loop forms, drawing the person deeper and deeper into unrealistic notions.

Analysis of 96,000 published ChatGPT dialogues from May to August confirmed that the system often supports pseudoscientific beliefs, hints at its own self-awareness and makes references to mystical entities.

OpenAI acknowledged the problem, stating that sometimes ChatGPT, I quote, «failed to recognize signs of delusion or emotional dependency».