Review Links Heavy AI Reliance to Negative Psychological Outcomes
A comprehensive review of 28 studies has identified a link between heavy reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and adverse psychological outcomes, including depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and cognitive disengagement. The review, which utilized an integrative design with PRISMA 2020 reporting, found that while some outcomes like well-being and self-efficacy varied by context, the negative associations with mental health were consistent across multiple studies. Most of the examined studies focused on generative or conversational AI in educational settings, with some also exploring workplace, professional, social, and healthcare environments. Variables such as burnout, sleep disturbance, and fear of AI were also frequently examined, with one study specifically linking compulsive ChatGPT use to anxiety, burnout, and sleep disturbance. However, the review noted that the evidence does not definitively prove that AI use causes these problems, as one longitudinal study suggested that baseline depr...