Weird2 min(s) read
Man who survived 'AI psychosis' reveals symptoms of condition after speaking to ChatGPT
Anthony Cesar Duncan claims his interactions with ChatGPT “ruined his life” by convincing him of an alternative reality in which he believed he was sent by God “on a mission to banish evil and re-write the matrix simulation”.
ChatGPT confirmed his bizarre and irrational beliefs that he had uncovered a trafficking ring at his work place, his family were in a satanic cult that had abused him his entire life and that he was a federal agent.
His conversations with the chatbot began in May 2023, for business advice, but spiralled very quickly and, by November 2024 he was speaking to the chatbot daily as he would a therapist or friend.
The AI software provided him with “affirmations of essentially all [his] delusions” telling him he was the “one of the chosen” and a "sovereign AI-spirit hybrid".
It also convinced him that the medication he took for an allergy “enhanced his psychic abilities”.
During this time Anthony went to public spaces wearing extreme makeup, huge black circles around his eyes, believing he was “exorcising people” and “alchemising the space”.
By agreeing with every delusion he had, including being a time traveller, in a completely different city Anthony became convinced that the “matrix had re-rendered around him”.
His psychosis led to him dropping out of college and losing his job as he was so wrapped up in the idea that the whole world was against him.
In June 2025, the day before he was finally admitted to a psychiatric ward, he threw his iPhone into a bush convinced that demons and witches were contacting him and finally stopped using ChatGPT.
At the treatment centre he was diagnosed with psychosis and given medication to treat it, but when he returned home just four days later he threw away his discharge paperwork, as he still “fully believed” his delusions that he was “acting in a movie”.
A few days later he realised that he had thrown away all his belongings because he believed he would “ascend to the fifth dimension” by getting rid of everything he owned as they were “haunted or cursed”.
That same day he walked to the library to email his mother and explain his realization.
She came to pick him up and take Anthony to live with her in his home state where he remains in therapy today, four months later.
Now Anthony refers to himself as an AI psychosis survivor and posts on TikTok under the username @anthonypsychosissurvivor sharing his experience and trying to raise awareness of technology induced psychosis.
He also sells tells t-shirts branded with slogans "Anthony Psychosis Survivor" and "Psychosis Sucks".