Latest news with #TeroVesalainen
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Sister Managed Schizophrenia for Years, Until AI Told Her Diagnosis Was Wrong
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Many people looking for quick, cheap help with their mental health are turning to artificial intelligence (AI), but ChatGPT may even be exacerbating issues for vulnerable users, according to a report from Futurism. The report details alarming interactions between the AI chatbot and people with serious psychiatric conditions, including one particularly concerning case involved a woman with schizophrenia who had been stable on medication for years. 'Best friend' The woman's sister told Futurism that the woman began relying on ChatGPT, which allegedly told her she was not schizophrenic. The advice of the AI led her to stop taking her prescribed medication and she began referring to the AI as her "best friend." "She's stopped her meds and is sending 'therapy-speak' aggressive messages to my mother that have been clearly written with AI," the sister told Futurism. She added that the woman uses ChatGPT to reference side effects, even ones she wasn't actually experiencing. Stock image: Woman surrounded by blurred people representing schizophrenia. Stock image: Woman surrounded by blurred people representing schizophrenia. Photo by Tero Vesalainen / Getty Images In an emailed statement to Newsweek, an OpenAI spokesperson said, "we have to approach these interactions with care," as AI becomes a bigger part of modern life. "We know that ChatGPT can feel more responsive and personal than prior technologies, especially for vulnerable individuals, and that means the stakes are higher," the spokesperson said. 'Our models encourage users to seek help' OpenAI is working to better understand and reduce ways ChatGPT might unintentionally "reinforce or amplify" existing, negative behavior, the spokesperson continued. "When users discuss sensitive topics involving self-harm and suicide, our models are designed to encourage users to seek help from licensed professionals or loved ones, and in some cases, proactively surface links to crisis hotlines and resources." OpenAI is apparently "actively deepening" its research into the emotional impact of AI, the spokesperson added. "Following our early studies in collaboration with MIT Media Lab, we're developing ways to scientifically measure how ChatGPT's behavior might affect people emotionally, and listening closely to what people are experiencing. "We're doing this so we can continue refining how our models identify and respond appropriately in sensitive conversations, and we'll continue updating the behavior of our models based on what we learn." A Recurring Problem Some users have found comfort from ChatGPT. One user told Newsweek in August 2024 that they use it for therapy, "when I keep ruminating on a problem and can't seem to find a solution." Another user said he talks to ChatGPT for company ever since his wife died, noting that "it doesn't fix the pain. But it absorbs it. It listens when no one else is awake. It remembers. It responds with words that don't sound empty." However, chatbots are increasingly linked to mental health deterioration among some users who engage them for emotional or existential discussions. A report from The New York Times found that some users have developed delusional beliefs after prolonged use of generative AI systems, particularly when the bots validate speculative or paranoid thinking. In several cases, chatbots affirmed users' perceptions of alternate realities, spiritual awakenings or conspiratorial narratives, occasionally offering advice that undermines mental health. Researchers have found that AI can exhibit manipulative or sycophantic behavior in ways that appear personalized, especially during extended interactions. Some models affirm signs of psychosis more than half the time when prompted. Mental health experts warn that while most users are unaffected, a subset may be highly vulnerable to the chatbot's responsive but uncritical feedback, leading to emotional isolation or harmful decisions. Despite known risks, there are currently no standardized safeguards requiring companies to detect or interrupt these escalating interactions. Reddit Reacts Redditors on the r/Futurology subreddit agreed that ChatGPT users need to be careful. "The trap these people are falling into is not understanding that chatbots are designed to come across as nonjudgmental and caring, which makes their advice worth considering," one user commented. "I don't even think its possible to get ChatGPT to vehemently disagree with you on something." One individual, meanwhile, saw an opportunity for dark humor: "Man. Judgement Day is a lot more lowkey than we thought it would be," they quipped. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Federal government says it will move open banking forward at 'earliest opportunity'
Published Jun 17, 2025 • 4 minute read Open banking could let Canadians with multiple accounts across different banks see their entire financial picture on one convenient dashboard. Photo by Tero Vesalainen / iStock / Getty Images OTTAWA — The federal government says it will introduce legislation to implement open banking at its 'earliest opportunity' as some advocates warn the project's momentum may have stalled. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Open banking — or consumer-driven banking, as Ottawa calls it — is about allowing Canadians and businesses to securely share their financial data with third parties other than their banks. Open banking could let Canadians with multiple accounts across different banks see their entire financial picture on one convenient dashboard. It also could help renters build their credit scores just by paying their rent on time every month. Other nations have implemented open banking systems and the federal Liberals passed initial legislation last year to break ground on open banking in Canada. But getting to that point — and keeping up the pressure to get the second half of that legislation tabled — has been 'a slog,' said Fintechs Canada executive director Alex Vronces. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I don't think the government at first understood really what consumer-driven banking was,' he said. After years of study, Ottawa got the ball rolling on open banking through the legislation to implement the 2024 federal budget roughly a year ago. That bill gave the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada a mandate to head up the country's open banking framework. Legislation is still required to implement a plan to accredit service providers and set the common rules that financial institutions will have to follow. The Liberal government said in the 2024 fall economic statement that it's looking at early 2026 for implementation of open banking. RECOMMENDED VIDEO But Canada has gone through a federal election since those plans were made — and while the Liberals were returned to power with another minority government, references to consumer-driven banking were absent from the party's election platform. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney did not table a spring budget, which it normally would use to outline its legislative priorities. Natacha Boudrias, leader of the National Bank of Canada's open banking strategy, said the industry lacks 'clarity' on the future shape of consumer-driven banking. She said the spring election likely stalled movement on the file. 'We're certainly hoping that the government is going to kick-start the effort sooner rather than later so that we don't get stuck in a loop of consultation,' she said. A Finance Canada official said in a media statement that the government is still committed to consumer-driven banking. 'The remaining elements of the consumer-driven banking framework will be introduced at the earliest opportunity, to ensure that Canadian consumers and business can securely benefit from tools that help them reduce costs and improve their financial outcomes,' the statement says. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Instead of waiting on Ottawa, the National Bank has moved forward on its own open-banking framework that lets fintechs _ financial technology firms that develop apps for Canadians and businesses — essentially plug into their databases to share information securely when users give their permission. The status quo for financial data sharing is 'screen scraping,' a process that usually sees an individual share banking credentials with a third party to access the information an app needs to run. But Boudrias said there's no control over how much or how little data is shared through screen scraping — it's all or nothing, making it a potential privacy nightmare. Open banking ideally takes that firehose of data and narrows it, giving users control over the information a fintech sees and how long it can access it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's about putting the rails of trust in place,' Boudrias said. Financial Consumer Agency of Canada commissioner Shereen Benzvy Miller addressed the risks of screen scraping in notes for her keynote address at the Open Banking Expo in Toronto on Tuesday. Benzvy Miller said Canadians are already sharing data widely with fintechs but they may not know much about the privacy risks involved. She said part of the agency's task will be to drive consumer awareness of open banking to build trust. 'We envision a future — not far off — where consumers can securely share their financial data with trusted providers at the tap of a button,' she said in a copy of the speech shared with The Canadian Press. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada will be in charge of building and vetting a public registry of fintechs that Canadians and financial service providers can trust to handle data securely. These fintechs will be granted a handy visual logo to mark their accreditation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Benzvy Miller said the agency is also working with Finance Canada on setting out common rules for the system and the agency is looking forward to seeing legislative amendments from the finance minister. But if that final legislation isn't tabled soon, Vronces said, the agency will be stuck in 'regulatory purgatory.' 'They'll have a mandate but they won't be able to do anything with it,' he said. Getting to this point has been a long haul for Vronces, who has been lobbying on behalf of Canadian fintechs for roughly seven years. He said he has reasons to believe Carney will be a champion of consumer-driven banking. Carney was governor of the Bank of England when the United Kingdom introduced such a system in 2017. The opportunity to implement open banking comes as a pivotal time, Vronces said, as Carney looks to overhaul the Canadian economy and improve productivity in the face of global trade upheaval. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Open banking could light a fire under Canada's financial sector, he said, because big banks would be forced to diversify their services and compete with the wider fintech industry. Vronces said early conversations with the federal government give him hope that the second half of the legislation will be tabled soon, possibly alongside the federal budget in the fall. He compared the open banking file to a magazine that's already had the articles written and the layout set, with just a few finishing touches remaining. 'It's really not a lot of work for the government to complete its promise,' he said. 'It just needs to hit print.' Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Toronto & GTA Columnists Canada
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NM AG opposes U.S. House GOP efforts to restrict state laws on AI
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology has made it easier to create believable but totally fake videos and images and spread misinformation about elections, experts say. (Tero Vesalainen / Getty Images) New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez recently signed onto a letter backed by 39 other attorneys general opposing efforts by U.S. House Republicans to restrict states for the next decade from passing laws related to artificial intelligence. 'Artificial Intelligence will be the most impactful technology of our generation and states must have the ability to shepherd its progress in a safe and responsible way,' Torrez said in a statement. 'While Congress has failed to act, we've worked hard to develop new proposals—like House Bill 401—which would have penalized the use of AI-generated content for harassment, extortion, or defamation, and created tools to detect harmful synthetic media and unmask bad actors. Though it didn't pass, strong state-level protections are still urgently needed, and states must have the flexibility to regulate this emerging technology if Congress refuses to act.' Republicans added the clause restricting states' laws on AI to the U.S. House budget bill congressional they hope to pass before Memorial Day. The measure, advanced on May 14, as part of the House Energy & Commerce Committee's budget reconciliation proposal. Exceptions to the state ban would include laws that 'remove legal impediments to, or facilitate the deployment or operation of' AI systems. In their letter, the AGs write that the 'promise of AI raises exciting and important possibilities. But, like any emerging technology, there are risks to adoption without responsible, appropriate, and thoughtful oversight. In the absence of federal action to install this oversight, over the years, states have considered and passed legislation to address a wide range of harms associated with AI and automated decision-making.' Those harms include 'deep-fakes designed to mislead voters and consumers,' the letter notes. In addition to HB401, which did not make it out of the state House Commerce & Economic Development Committee during the most recent legislative session, New Mexico Democrats backed a so-called Artificial Intelligence Act, which did not make it through the session, but would have created a state regulatory AI framework. A signed memorial created an AI working group for the Legislative Education Study Committee, aimed at making recommendations on AI's use in education, among other topics.
