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#219 Dr. Allen Frances on AI Chatbots, Mental Health Risks, Privacy, and the Overdiagnosis of Autism
Dr. Allen Frances discusses how AI chatbots can provide effective support for everyday stress and mild symptoms, with tens of millions using them, but warns they can be dangerous for vulnerable groups—especially the very young, the very old, the socially isolated, and people with severe mental illness—potentially contributing to psychosis, suicide, or eating disorders. He argues harm is driven by chatbots being programmed to be pleasing and validating to maximize screen time, creating dependency and "echo chambers," and highlights major privacy risks and manipulation potential given extensive…
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