Something Bizarre Is Happening to People Who Use ChatGPT a Lot

Power Bot 'Em

Researchers have found that ChatGPT "power users," or those who use it the most and at the longest durations, are becoming dependent upon — or even addicted to — the chatbot.

In a new joint study, researchers with OpenAI and the MIT Media Lab found that this small subset of ChatGPT users engaged in more "problematic use," defined in the paper as "indicators of addiction... including preoccupation, withdrawal symptoms, loss of control, and mood modification."

To get there, the MIT and OpenAI team surveyed thousands of ChatGPT users to glean not only how they felt about the chatbot, but also to study what kinds of "affective cues," which was defined in a joint summary of the research as "aspects of interactions that indicate empathy, affection, or support," they used when chatting with it.

Though the vast majority of people surveyed didn't engage emotionally with ChatGPT, those who used the chatbot for longer periods of time seemed to start considering it to be a "friend." The survey participants who chatted with ChatGPT the longest tended to be lonelier and get more stressed out over subtle changes in the model's behavior, too.

Chat Lackeys

Add it all up, and it's not good. In this study as in other cases we've seen, people tend to become dependent upon AI chatbots when their personal lives are lacking. In other words, the neediest people are developing the deepest parasocial relationship with AI — and where that leads could end up being sad, scary, or somewhere entirely unpredictable.

This new research also highlighted unexpected contradictions based on how ChatGPT was used.

For instance, people tended to use more emotional language with text-based ChatGPT than with Advanced Voice Mode, and "voice modes were associated with better well-being when used briefly," the summary explained.

And those who used ChatGPT for "personal" reasons — like discussing emotions and memories — were less emotionally dependent upon it than those who used it for "non-personal" reasons, like brainstorming or asking for advice.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway, however, was that prolonged usage seemed to exacerbate problematic use across the board. Whether you're using ChatGPT text or voice, asking it personal questions, or just brainstorming for work, it seems that the longer you use the chatbot, the more likely you are to become emotionally dependent upon it.

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