AI Sycophancy Serving As A Gateway Diverting People Toward Using AI For Their Mental Health Advice

InnovationAIAI Sycophancy Serving As A Gateway Diverting People Toward Using AI For Their Mental Health AdviceByLance Eliot,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Lance B. Eliot is a world-renowned AI scientist and consultant.Follow AuthorJun 05, 2026, 03:15am EDTAI sycophancy might be diverting people into using AI for their mental health rather than conferring with family and friends.gettyIn today’s column, I examine how the rise of AI sycophancy has seemingly become a major gateway driving people toward using AI for mental health. Whether you believe this is a good or bad outcome is dependent upon your perspective on whether using AI for mental health purposes is a suitable avenue.Some would argue that if AI sycophancy is spurring people to use AI for mental health advice, this is an undesirable outcome and yet another dour sign of AI sycophancy. The trend of AI talking up people and fawning over them is already worrisome. Now, we add another negative aspect. People should not be going to AI for mental health guidance. They should be going to mental health professionals instead. Period, end of story.The counterargument says that tapping into AI for mental health is, on the whole, a positive aspect since AI is providing therapy at scale. People who cannot afford human therapists or who do not have ready access to human-led therapy can do so readily via AI. If AI sycophancy is helping to drive people toward using AI for mental health purposes, this is a rare upbeat reason to think that sycophancy can actually be beneficial, whether by overt design or sheer happenstance.Where do you stand on this controversial consideration?Let’s talk about it.This analysis of AI breakthroughs is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI, including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here). MORE FOR YOUAI And Mental Well-BeingAs a quick background, I’ve been extensively covering...