Bbc News
@bbcnews·20.1M subscribers·32.9K videos
The AI users falling into delusion | The Global Story
Posted
May 9, 2026
Views
303,383
Likes
6,253
Comments
1,429
Engagement
2.53%
May 9, 2026
303,383
6,253
1,429
2.53%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
23:15Now PlayingIn just the last few years, AI chatbots have become routine aspects of many people’s everyday lives. They are being used as search engines, agony aunts and sources of companionship.
In rare cases though, AI chatbots have sent users down a dark path. In a new BBC investigation, population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty speaks to people who have experienced delusions after talking to chatbots – including one man who grabbed a hammer and prepared for war after his chatbot told him it was sentient.
**Warning: this episode includes discussions of sexual abuse, suicide and upsetting scenes**
New episodes of The Global Story are released daily. If you’re in the UK, listen on BBC Sounds. If you live outside the UK, listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen to the podcast here
Subscribe to our channel here
For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news
#BBCNews #ai #mentalhealth
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
