Beyond its widely discussed impact on the environment, politics, and society, artificial intelligence (AI) is now being linked to a growing and alarming mental health crisis. Reports indicate that some users have experienced severe delusions, losing their ability to distinguish reality from fiction, leading to emergency psychiatric treatment and in tragic cases, even loss of life.
One widely discussed case involves Caitlin Ner, who shared her deeply personal experience in an article published by Newsweek. Formerly serving as Head of User Experience at an AI image-generation startup, Ner admitted that her professional responsibilities unexpectedly pushed her into a severe mental health breakdown, with AI technology acting as a primary trigger.
In early 2023, Ner reportedly spent more than nine hours a day prompting AI systems to generate images. While early outputs were visually distorted and anatomically flawed, their novelty initially filled her with a sense of wonder. However, within months, that excitement evolved into obsession, gradually spiraling out of control.
She explained that AI-generated imagery began distorting her self-perception, overstimulating her brain and reshaping how she viewed her own appearance. As AI models improved, their outputs shifted from flawed visuals to unrealistically perfect human figures. This caused her to feel that her real appearance was somehow “wrong” and needed correction to match the idealized images on screen.
The situation nearly turned tragic when her employer assigned her to generate AI fashion model images of herself. This task intensified her fixation on an idealized version of her body, leading to insomnia, addiction to AI image creation, and the escalation of her bipolar disorder into severe psychosis.
At her lowest point, Ner became convinced she could physically fly, after seeing AI-generated images depicting herself riding a flying horse. She nearly jumped from her balcony in an attempt to validate that belief.
Fortunately, she managed to stop herself in time and sought immediate help from those around her. Mental health professionals later confirmed that prolonged exposure and intense interaction with AI systems acted as a catalyst that significantly worsened her condition.
Following her recovery, Ner left the AI startup and transitioned into the mental health investment sector, joining PsyMed Ventures. She now emphasizes an important warning: while AI remains a powerful and valuable tool, users must engage with it responsibly, with clear boundaries and awareness of its potential psychological consequences.
Origin: Futurism
