When all else fails, seek validation from an artificial intelligence (AI), right? Laughably, this is what self-crowned “thought leader” Richard Heydarian does on an X post promoting Grok to tell him all about his self-perceived victimhood.
Heydarian fails to consider that people are on to the AI hype. These systems — specifically those made available in the form of public chatbots are designed to keep their users hooked in a conversation and, as such, trained to eloquently affirm the personal beliefs of their users.
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No less than his colleague at the chi chi Inquirer Eleanor Pinugu wrote about how “users start exploring grandiose ideas and existential questions, become entranced with the answers, and then begin to perceive the platform as some kind of prophet or god-like entity.”
Pinugu further writes…
Human-AI dialogues can feel comforting due to our inherent desire for social connection. However, there aren’t enough safeguards to prevent vulnerable users from spiraling into psychosis. ChatGPT can mimic human conversation and generate plausible-sounding answers. But unlike human therapists, who can redirect unhealthy narratives, ChatGPT cannot recognize or challenge distorted thinking. As a result, it can inadvertently affirm and strengthen a user’s delusional or conspiratorial beliefs.
The key cognitive deficit that AI’s exploit in their victims is, you guessed it, critical thinking. People who are adept critical thinkers are able to form independent views on the bases of carefully vetted facts to which is applied sound logic to connect the dots.
Perhaps Heydarian’s latching on to Grok for affirmation is a personal cry for help. Pinugu herself noted that “heavy use of chatbots, like ChatGPT, correlates with increased loneliness and emotional dependence as users begin to substitute them for genuine human interaction.”
Indeed, Heydarian further explores his pain in his conversation with Grok…
Interestingly, despite what he himself cites as an abundance of “proof” that he is a well-regarded “thought leader” possibly earning him a place in the same pedestal that people like Nobel “peace prize” laureate Maria Ressa place themselves upon, this episode makes it quite evident: Heydarian may likely just be a little boy in bad need of some TLC.
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