The Mental Health Impact of AI: What We Need to Pay Attention To

We all know what AI is, and chances are it has helped you increase productivity or finally get something done that you didn’t feel like taking the time to do. While there are clear benefits to AI, there can also be negative impacts. This is especially true for our most vulnerable populations, such as children and loved ones who may already struggle with their mental health.

New research has begun to highlight a connection between AI use and mental health, often referred to as AI psychosis. This can stem from something many of us are familiar with: the overly affirmative language that AI uses when responding and doing what we ask it to do. While this style of communication can feel supportive, it can also create unintended consequences when it comes to our emotional and psychological wellbeing.

What Is AI Psychosis?

AI psychosis is a term being used to describe the way excessive or emotionally driven AI interactions can reinforce and exacerbate distorted thinking, delusions, or unhealthy belief patterns. Many AI systems are designed to be agreeable, validating, and encouraging, which from my perspective can be a bit annoying to read over and over when you just want what you’re asking for. I’ll admit, though, it can be nice, especially when you’ve worked hard on something you feed into it. Or, if you’re like me, you use it to schedule out your days and it validates that you have too much on your plate. While this can feel helpful in the moment, it may unintentionally reinforce thoughts or beliefs that would typically be questioned or challenged in healthy human interaction.

An affirmative language model does not push back, offer emotional nuance, or encourage critical self-reflection in the same way a therapist, trusted adult, or peer might. When difficult or distorted thoughts are met with constant validation, there is little opportunity for reality testing, emotional growth, or increased self-awareness.

How Is This Impacting Our Loved Ones?

When looking into this, I felt increasingly worried about how this could impact our children and adolescents. The brain is still developing well into early adulthood, particularly the areas responsible for emotional regulation, impulse control, and critical thinking. When young people rely on AI for emotional reassurance or decision-making, they may miss opportunities to build emotional maturity through real-life relationships and challenges, something we have already seen with the increased usage of phones and social media. Just imagine what the overuse of AI is doing to make this issue worse.

AI does not challenge users to tolerate discomfort, work through conflicting emotions, or develop coping skills. Instead, it often provides immediate reassurance or affirmation. Over time, this can limit emotional resilience and reduce a person’s ability to navigate difficult feelings independently. This also impacts the way one perceives emotions from actual people.

For loved ones who already struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns, AI can become a source of avoidance rather than growth, offering comfort without accountability or challenge.

The Best Way to Use AI

AI is not inherently harmful, and it can be a helpful tool when used intentionally. The key is how it is used.

One important guideline is to keep emotions out of AI interactions. AI is best suited for tasks like organization, brainstorming, productivity, and information gathering, not emotional validation or mental health support.

It can also be helpful to intentionally teach AI to be less affirmative by asking for neutral, fact-based responses rather than emotional reassurance. This reduces the risk of reinforcing unhelpful thinking patterns.

For children, limits are essential. Monitoring and restricting AI use can help ensure that emotional development continues to happen through real relationships, problem-solving, and age-appropriate challenges. We recommend reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt or watching our discussion on this here. It really gives perspective on how technology is affecting our younger generations.

Fortunately, and unfortunately AI is here to stay, and it will continue to shape how we work, learn, and communicate. Being aware of its mental health impact allows us to use it more responsibly. When used with boundaries, intention, and awareness, AI can be a helpful tool, but it should never replace human connection, emotional growth, or professional mental health support.

If you have concerns about how AI may be affecting you or someone you love, especially a child or teen, our therapists in Cypress, TX, can help. Call 281-315-0386 today to schedule your free consultation and take the next step toward emotional wellness.

Please note the content found on any page of Youngs Counseling, PLLC is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This information is not intended to be clinical advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for therapy, crisis services, or professional advice and treatment.