Why AI Chatbots Have Trouble Detecting Rare Mental Health Conditions Such As Intermittent Explosive Disorder

InnovationAIWhy AI Chatbots Have Trouble Detecting Rare Mental Health Conditions Such As Intermittent Explosive DisorderByLance Eliot,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Lance B. Eliot is a world-renowned AI scientist and consultant.Follow AuthorJun 06, 2026, 03:15am EDTDoes generative AI overlook rare mental health conditions or is it doing the right thing by avoiding low chance aspects?gettyIn today’s column, I examine the key challenges associated with generative AI and large language models (LLMs) in detecting rare mental health conditions. Most of the everyday usage of popular LLMs to get mental health advice usually involves people with relatively common cognitive issues, such as depression, anxiety, and the like. But what about situations when a person has something much less common?A rare mental health condition can be like a needle in a haystack. The odds of discerning that someone potentially has a rare mental health condition can be extremely difficult. The same difficulty confronts human therapists and psychiatrists. They too can falter in not considering a rare condition since it isn’t on top of mind, or they set aside the chances of the condition arising because they know it is extraordinarily rare.To illustrate this conundrum when it comes to AI, I will focus on a rare mental health disorder known as intermittent explosive disorder (IED) to showcase the challenges underlying these circumstances. Human therapists and generative AI can readily miss the mark when it comes to suitably determining that IED might be present.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...