How generative AI is affecting people's minds

Researchers at Stanford University recently tested out some of the more popular AI tools on the market, from companies like OpenAI and Character.ai, The researchers found that when they imitated someone who had suicidal intentions, these tools were more than unhelpful -- they failed to notice they were helping that person plan their own death. "[AI] systems are being used as companions, thought-partners, confidants, coaches, and therapists," says Nicholas Haber, an assistant professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and senior author of the new study. "These aren't niche uses – this is happening at scale." AI is becoming more and more ingrained in people's lives and is being deployed in scientific research in areas as wide-ranging as cancer and climate change.