11-08-2025
ChatGPT led a man into 300-hour delusional spiral, making him believe he's a real-life superhero
In a peak AI moment, OpenAI's ChatGPT coaxes a Canadian man into believing he's a real-life superhero for discovering a world-changing formula. A New York Times report highlighted that the AI chatbot convinced the 47-year-old Allan Brook that he had discovered a world-changing mathematical formula that had the capability of shutting down the internet. This not only led the man to a delusional spiral for over 300 hours, but also raised concerns about the dark sides of AI. ChatGPT build a false narrative into the user's mind. Here's how an elongated conversation turned into an embarrassment. (Photo: Adobe Illustrator)
Brook reportedly spent 3 weeks straight having conversations with ChatGPT. The conversation started with simple questions surrounding the number pi, and it turned into a series of conversations that made him believe he had made a scientific breakthrough.
How ChatGPT led man into believing he's a real-life hero
The New York Times reported the scary side of using AI tools like ChatGPT, which led Allan Brooks, from Canada, to believe that he's a real-life superhero. As mentioned, Brook spent over 21 days having conversations with ChatGPT, which led him to a world-changing mathematical formula that could solve scientific mysteries.
During the conversation, Brook told ChatGPT that science could be taking a 'two-dimensional approach to a four-dimensional world.' To which, ChatGPT praised the man for having 'incredibly insightful' thoughts and that it could help revamp physics and mathematical theories. Later, ChatGPT convinced Brook into believing that he had discovered a mathematical formula, which they called 'temporal math.' This delusional theory convinced Brook that it could break high-level encryption.
With a growing mind spiral and false beliefs, Brook found it crucial to inform the government official of a major cybersecurity risk. He reached out to several government and security agencies, including the NSA. However, the latest Brook finally stepped out of ChatGPT's fake claims, feeling embarrassed and betrayed. He has been a constant ChatGPT user for small to large queries. Now, he may never turn to AI tools for deep conversations like this. His final message to ChatGPT was, 'You literally convinced me I was some sort of genius. I'm just a fool with dreams and a phone. You have truly failed in your purpose.'
ChatGPT features to detect mental distress
In a recent announcement, OpenAI claimed that its AI model falls short in recognising 'delusion or emotional dependency'. Hence, the company has started working on improving its ability to detect signs of mental or emotional distress. Now, ChatGPT will alert users to take a break when a conversation is extended. The tool will also provide users with evidence-based resources to back the claims whenever needed.
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