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Infographic: Unexpected harm

infographic showing psychologists’ worries about unexpected harm from chatbots

Details of infographic from APA’s 2026 Chatbots and Mental Health Survey

Psychologists worry chatbots may cause unexpected harm

% of psychologists who strongly or somewhat agree

  • Chatbots may inadvertently reinforce negative behaviors or delusional beliefs: 97%
  • Today’s chatbots cannot treat conditions with an appropriate amount of nuance: 94%
  • Using AI to provide companionship could negatively impact users’ social engagement: 93%
  • Chatbots may inadvertently encourage self-harm: 89%