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    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    ‘An almost divine quality’: The irresistible allure of AI chatbots

    An anthropologist and a psychiatrist weigh in on “AI psychosis,” following several recent, high-profile cases of users losing touch with reality during conversations with bots.

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    By Madeleine Brand • Aug 28, 2025 • 1 min read

    An anthropologist and a psychiatrist weigh in on “AI psychosis,” following several recent, high-profile cases of users losing touch with reality during conversations with bots.

    The full episode

    1 of 4
    When AI companionship turns into psychosis
    1. 0:00‘An almost divine quality’: The irresistible allure of AI chatbotsYou’re reading this
    2. 16:50COVID surges in CA as FDA restricts vaccines
    3. 25:56Weekend film reviews: ‘Caught Stealing,’ ‘The Roses’
    4. 42:00How to properly finger clap like a ballroom star
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Angie Perrin

      Producer, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Amy Ta

      Digital News & Culture Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Webb Keane

      anthropology professor at the University of Michigan

    • KCRW placeholder

      Keith Sakata

      psychiatrist at the University of California San Francisco

      NewsTechnology

    The full episode

    1 of 4
    When AI companionship turns into psychosis
    1. 0:00‘An almost divine quality’: The irresistible allure of AI chatbotsYou’re reading this
    2. 16:50COVID surges in CA as FDA restricts vaccines
    3. 25:56Weekend film reviews: ‘Caught Stealing,’ ‘The Roses’
    4. 42:00How to properly finger clap like a ballroom star
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand