Psychologists say AI chatbots have led people to experience delusions, warning that more of us are at risk than we might think. But she was troubled last year after encountering seven patients who had stumbled into delusions through conversations with AI chatbots – including one person with no history of mental illness, who simply sought reassurance after a big purchase. It’s a reality quickly becoming familiar to mental health professionals across the country, according to interviews the New York Times conducted with more than 100 therapists and psychiatrists. More than two dozen professionals recalled mental emergencies linked to AI, including psychosis, suicidal ideation and even violent crimes that led to criminal prosecution. But it adds to a bulk of evidence that racial discrimination is a public health hazard, one that harms mental health, wears down the body, and shortens lives.