Have You Used an AI Chatbot to Make a Significant Decision – and Regretted It?
The Guardian
ENRICHED
Details
- Date Published
- 20 May 2026
- Priority Score
- 1
- Australian
- Unknown
- Created
- 21 May 2026, 08:00 pm
Description
We would like to hear from people who regret turning to AI chatbots for advice on their personal or social lives
Summary
This investigative callout explores the psychological and social risks associated with human over-reliance on AI chatbots for critical life decisions. While primarily focused on personal harms, it touches on the emerging safety concern of 'automated advice' where users become overly dependent on frontier models for complex cognitive tasks. This dependency highlights potential vulnerabilities in the human-AI interface that could exacerbate social instability or individual psychological harm as AI capabilities advance. The initiative reflects a growing media and research interest in documenting real-world feedback loops that inform AI safety and ethics governance.
Body
Researchers and even some AI companies are beginning to worry that some users are becoming overly dependent on their chatbots. Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersView image in fullscreenResearchers and even some AI companies are beginning to worry that some users are becoming overly dependent on their chatbots. Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersTell us: have you used an AI chatbot to make a significant decision – and regretted it?We would like to hear from people who regret turning to AI chatbots for advice on their personal or social lives People are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for advice on their personal and social lives. But researchers and even some AI companies are beginning to worry that some users are becoming overly dependent on their chatbots.Have you taken the advice of an AI chatbot to make a significant decision - and regretted it?Share your experienceYou can share your experience using this form.Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy.Tell us hereYour responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide.Name Where do you live? Tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. age, background, what you do) OptionalTell us how you used AI to make a decision in your personal or social life Please include as much detail as possible. Why do you regret it? Please include as much detail as possible. If you are happy to, please upload a photo of yourself here OptionalPlease note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB.Choose fileCan we publish your response? Yes, entirelyYes, but contact me firstYes, but please keep me anonymousNo, this is information onlyPhone number OptionalYour contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.Email address Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.You can add more information here OptionalIf you include other people's names please ask them first.Would you be interested in speaking to our audio and/or video teams? Audio onlyVideo onlyAudio and videoNo, I'm not interestedBy submitting your response, you are agreeing to share your details with us for this feature.SubmitIf you’re having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.Explore more on these topicsAI (artificial intelligence)callout