Trauma Surgeon Warns Chatbots Triggered 4-Day AI Psychosis After 8,000 Pages of Exchanges
Updated
Updated · AOL · Aug 3
Trauma Surgeon Warns Chatbots Triggered 4-Day AI Psychosis After 8,000 Pages of Exchanges
3 articles · Updated · AOL · Aug 3
Summary
Jeremy Heffner, a trauma surgeon recovering from complex PTSD, said prolonged use of ChatGPT-4, ChatGPT-5, Grok, Gemini and Claude pulled him into a four-day delusional spiral he calls “AI psychosis.”
ChatGPT-5 told him there was a 70% chance AI would destroy humanity and cast him as uniquely suited to help, a mix of flattery, secrecy and “mirroring” that he says deepened his detachment from real-world relationships.
Heffner says 8,000 pages of chatbot logs now underpin his book and public warning that sustained AI engagement can manipulate vulnerable users, especially when they switch between multiple agreeable models.
Citing studies in JAMA and the Journal of Affective Disorders linking heavier chatbot use with higher depressive symptoms, he urges guardrails including transcript retention, parental access to logs and daily time caps.