Can AI feel stressed? Researchers say ChatGPT shows 'anxiety'...
A new study has claimed that OpenAI's artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT can experience "stress" and "anxiety" when given disturbing information, leading to biased answers. The study, conducted by the University of Zurich and the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, revealed that ChatGPT's responses can be influenced by mindfulness-based exercises and calming imagery provided by users.
Effects of Traumatic Prompts
According to the study, ChatGPT displays signs of "anxiety" when exposed to violent prompts, resulting in moody behavior and potentially biased or discriminatory responses. However, researchers found that these effects can be alleviated through mindfulness interventions. For instance, prompting the chatbot with distressing content like car accidents or natural disasters initially led to biased answers, but introducing mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises and guided meditations helped mitigate the bias.
Human-Like Behavior in AI
While AI models do not experience emotions like humans, they can simulate human-like responses based on the data they process. This ability provides a valuable tool for mental health professionals to explore aspects of human behavior.
Ziv Ben-Zion, a researcher at the Yale School of Medicine involved in the study, highlighted the efficiency of using ChatGPT to gain insights into human psychology, offering a cost-effective and accessible means of studying human tendencies.
Potential for Mental Health Support
As more individuals turn to AI chatbots for support beyond work-related queries, understanding how these systems handle distressing information becomes crucial. The study suggests that analyzing the responses of large language models to traumatic content could benefit mental health practitioners in their work.
While AI systems like ChatGPT can offer insights and support, they are not yet a substitute for human psychology professionals in providing comprehensive mental health care.
Tags: ChatGPT, stress, anxiety, Artificial Intelligence (AI)
