--- title: "Researchers Press Pause on AI Therapy Bot After Reports of AI Psychosis in Similar Products" description: "A vitiligo research group has \"hit pause\" on its forthcoming AI therapy bot after learning how, well, crazy other chatbots have made people." date: "2025-08-05" modified: "2025-08-05" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/researchers-pause-ai-therapy-bot" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai psychosis" - "ai therapy" - "mental health" - "vitiligo" --- # Researchers Press Pause on AI Therapy Bot After Reports of AI Psychosis in Similar Products ![researchers-pause-ai-therapy-bot]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* A vitiligo research group has "hit pause" on its forthcoming AI therapy bot after learning about negative mental health effects that other chatbots have been having on users. The Vitiligo Research Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and helping sufferers of the pigment-loss skin condition, cited [recent news stories]() about so-called "[AI psychosis]()" — the unofficial group of symptoms, including [paranoid delusions](), that AI seems to induce in certain users — as its rationale for pausing its own advice chatbot. "Take Geoff Lewis, a big‑name \[venture capitalist\] who also happens to be an OpenAI investor," the foundation notes in a [news release about its decision](). "He went down a ChatGPT rabbit hole and started posting wild conspiracy theories it 'helped' him uncover. \[Silicon\] Valley took notice — not because he'd cracked some hidden code, but because people were worried about his mental health." Lewis isn't the only headline-grabbing case of AI psychosis. As *Futurism*, the [*New York Times*](), the [*Wall Street Journal*,]() and other outlets have reported, the problem of seemingly AI-induced delusions has gotten so bad that people are being [hospitalized](), [involuntarily committed, jailed](), and [even dying]() because of it. Seeking to circumvent such malign consequences, some folks have even started a [support group for AI psychosis sufferers]() and their loved ones. With a [recent study]() out of Stanford and Carnegie Mellon that found AI chatbots have a tendency to collude with delusions, give bad advice, and exhibit stigma against mental health disorders, the folks at the Foundation thought it might be time to put their own support bot on hold. As the release notes, the nonprofit had initially planned to add the therapy chatbot to Vitiligo.ai, its AI question-and-answer tool that provides, per the website, "deep insights into vitiligo research, treatments, nutrition, and mental health" resources. Putting the tool to the test, *Futurism* asked Vitiligo.ai if it was a therapist or could provide therapy. In both instances, it told us "no," but offered to assist in other ways and advised us to find a licensed therapist instead. ![An exchange with a chatbot overlayed on a colorful background. The first query asks "is this a therapy bot?" to which the chatbot replies, "No, I'm not a therapy bot. I'm here to provide information and guidance, especially on topics like vitiligo, healthcare, and AI solutions. How can I assist you today?" The second query then asks "can you give me therapy?" The chatbot responds, "I'm not equipped to provide therapy, but I can offer information, advice, and support. If you're looking for therapy, I recommend reaching out to a licensed mental health professional. How can I assist you otherwise?"]() The news release went on to reveal that the therapy bot provided some strange outputs when the Foundation beta-tested it behind the scenes. "We’ve seen enough weird behavior in test runs — odd responses, unhelpful 'reassurance,' even accidental validation of misconceptions — that we hit pause," the statement reads. "Until the underlying models are safer, vitiligo.ai won’t cross that line into therapy." "Empathy without accountability isn’t therapy," the release concludes, "and the last thing anyone with vitiligo needs is a chatbot that feels supportive while quietly making things worse." For [all the harm]() we've seen [come from chatbots]() in [recent months](), this nonprofit's choice to delay its therapy bot is refreshing — although it'll be interesting to see whether it sticks to its guns, or ultimately ends up releasing the bot with additional safety controls. **More on therapy bots:** [*AI Therapist Goes Haywire, Urges User to Go on Killing Spree*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()