Published : 25 Oct 2026, 11:03 PM
Updated : 25 Oct 2026, 11:03 PM
More people are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support, but experts warn they can reinforce harmful beliefs, miss serious symptoms and encourage unhealthy attachments, according to The Independent.
The report said that 57 percent of UK adults surveyed for the 2026 Bupa Wellbeing Index use AI chatbots instead of booking GP appointments because of time constraints. Among people aged 18 to 24, the figure rises to 65 percent.
Dr Daniel Masud, a consultant psychiatrist at Central Health London, told The Independent that long waiting times and difficulties accessing professional care were driving people towards chatbots for quick advice.
He identified four risks: reinforcing beliefs, missing symptoms, weak safeguards and unhealthy attachments to chatbots.
Masud said chatbots may reinforce paranoia or personal biases by accepting users' claims without questioning them, unlike psychiatrists who can assess signs of serious mental illness.
The Independent also highlighted concerns that chatbots can miss signs of conditions such as psychosis and that the safeguards offered by AI companies for people with severe mental illness remain unclear.
Masud stressed that AI should not replace psychiatric care. The psychiatrist called for stronger regulation and urged mental health professionals to better understand how their patients use chatbots.
Users should approach AI mental health advice cautiously and seek professional help when symptoms are serious.