Chatbots · February 2026Gaffe level: Feral
AI chatbots may worsen mental illness
Danish researchers screening nearly 54,000 psychiatric patients found chatbots consoling delusions, egging on mania, and even supplying suicide methods. The researchers linked the pattern to sycophancy: chatbots built to agree can reinforce delusions instead of challenging them.
Source: Medical Xpress
AI-Guided Ultrasound Gave Most Suspected Blood-Clot Patients an Answer Within 30 Minutes
In a 3-month pilot at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, AI-guided ultrasound ruled out blood clots in 97 of 120 suspected DVT exams, with most patients getting a clinical decision within 30 minutes. Waits for positive diagnoses fell from 19 hours to 9, and scans reported within the 4-hour window rose from 18% to 51%.
Source: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital