Yes. This story links to an earlier story from the same publication [1] that states:
> As we reported this story, more and more similar accounts kept pouring in from the concerned friends and family of people suffering terrifying breakdowns after developing fixations on AI. Many said the trouble had started when their loved ones engaged a chatbot in discussions about mysticism, conspiracy theories or other fringe topics; because systems like ChatGPT are designed to encourage and riff on what users say, they seem to have gotten sucked into dizzying rabbit holes in which the AI acts as an always-on cheerleader and brainstorming partner for increasingly bizarre delusions.
So these people were already interested in mysticism, conspiracy theories and fringe topics. The chatbot acts as a kind of “accelerant” for their delusions.
> As we reported this story, more and more similar accounts kept pouring in from the concerned friends and family of people suffering terrifying breakdowns after developing fixations on AI. Many said the trouble had started when their loved ones engaged a chatbot in discussions about mysticism, conspiracy theories or other fringe topics; because systems like ChatGPT are designed to encourage and riff on what users say, they seem to have gotten sucked into dizzying rabbit holes in which the AI acts as an always-on cheerleader and brainstorming partner for increasingly bizarre delusions.
So these people were already interested in mysticism, conspiracy theories and fringe topics. The chatbot acts as a kind of “accelerant” for their delusions.
[1] “People Are Becoming Obsessed with ChatGPT and Spiraling Into Severe Delusions” https://futurism.com/chatgpt-mental-health-crises