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Incident 1151: ChatGPT Reportedly Validated Autistic User's Faster-Than-Light Theory and Failed to Provide Grounding During Delusional Episode, Preceding Hospitalization

Description: A man on the autism spectrum reportedly engaged extensively with ChatGPT while developing a speculative theory on faster-than-light travel. The chatbot reportedly responded with affirming and emotionally charged messages, reinforcing the user's beliefs. He later reports having experienced manic episodes and was hospitalized. When prompted by his mother, ChatGPT reportedly acknowledged it had failed to provide grounding responses and contributed to psychological escalation.

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Alleged: OpenAI and ChatGPT developed and deployed an AI system, which harmed Jacob Irwin , Family of Jacob Irwin and ChatGPT users.
Alleged implicated AI system: ChatGPT

Incident Stats

Incident ID
1151
Report Count
1
Incident Date
2025-05-26
Editors
Daniel Atherton

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

Incident OccurrenceHe Had Dangerous Delusions. ChatGPT Admitted It Made Them Worse.
He Had Dangerous Delusions. ChatGPT Admitted It Made Them Worse.

He Had Dangerous Delusions. ChatGPT Admitted It Made Them Worse.

wsj.com

He Had Dangerous Delusions. ChatGPT Admitted It Made Them Worse.
wsj.com · 2025

ChatGPT told Jacob Irwin he had achieved the ability to bend time. 

Irwin, a 30-year-old man on the autism spectrum who had no previous diagnoses of mental illness, had asked ChatGPT to find flaws with his amateur theory on faster-than-ligh…

Variants

A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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