Emerging Research Reveals Psychosocial Twists About AI Chatbots And Human Minds

InnovationAIEmerging Research Reveals Psychosocial Twists About AI Chatbots And Human MindsByLance Eliot,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Lance B. Eliot is a world-renowned AI scientist and consultant.Follow AuthorMay 31, 2026, 03:15am EDTRecent empirical research on AI and mental health provides both intuitive and counterintuitive insights.gettyIn today’s column, I examine a fascinating research study that revealed both intuitive and counterintuitive insights about the psychosocial impacts of generative AI and large language models (LLMs). Here’s the deal. We are beginning to see wide-ranging, rigorous research on how modern era AI-driven chatbots can affect human minds and human behaviors. Strong empirical work that seeks to reveal truths about the human-AI experience and mental health must be encouraged and coveted if we are going to proceed ahead with judiciousness and pragmatism.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). AI And Mental HealthAs a quick background, I’ve been extensively covering and analyzing a myriad of facets regarding the advent of modern-era AI that produces mental health advice and performs AI-driven therapy. This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI. For a quick summary of some of my posted columns on this evolving topic, see the link here, which briefly recaps about forty of the over one hundred column postings that I’ve made on the subject. There is little doubt that this is a rapidly developing field and that there are tremendous upsides to be had, but at the same time, regrettably, hidden risks and outright gotchas come into these endeavors, too. I frequently speak up about these pressing matters, including in an appearance last year on an episo...