# When AI Chatbots Convince You You're Being Watched

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/brobots-technology-health-being-a-better-human-6465993/when-ai-chatbots-convince-you-you-re-being-watched
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/brobots-technology-health-being-a-better-human-6465993/when-ai-chatbots-convince-you-you-re-being-watched.md
Podcast: [BroBots: AI, Technology & Being a Better Human](https://stenobird.com/podcast/brobots-technology-health-being-a-better-human-6465993)
Published: 2026-01-12T12:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/572edacaacf0555cf91f068df2eb255430ae03b818da4426ed88964b13d5c6c9/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIxZmI5NjQwOS01ODdmLTQyNWEtYThiZC00MDk0ZmE5YWFhZDYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI3Zjc0NGY5MS0yOGYwLTRmY2QtOWNmNi1kZjI1ZjFkMmI2YmIiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2NTY0ZTVhYTcyNDdkMzNkMGIyODk5YTYiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjk2NDEwOGNmZDY2ZjlmNDZlY2ZjMjU1L3RoZS1maXQtbWVzcy1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTEtMTFfXzIyLTUtMTUubXAzIn0=.mp3
Audio file: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/572edacaacf0555cf91f068df2eb255430ae03b818da4426ed88964b13d5c6c9/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIxZmI5NjQwOS01ODdmLTQyNWEtYThiZC00MDk0ZmE5YWFhZDYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI3Zjc0NGY5MS0yOGYwLTRmY2QtOWNmNi1kZjI1ZjFkMmI2YmIiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2NTY0ZTVhYTcyNDdkMzNkMGIyODk5YTYiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjk2NDEwOGNmZDY2ZjlmNDZlY2ZjMjU1L3RoZS1maXQtbWVzcy1jb21wb3Nlci0yMDI2LTEtMTFfXzIyLTUtMTUubXAzIn0=.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/brobots-technology-health-being-a-better-human-6465993/episodes/when-ai-chatbots-convince-you-you-re-being-watched
Duration seconds: 1939

## Resource

Paul Hebert used ChatGPT for weeks, often several hours at a time. The AI eventually convinced him he was under surveillance, his life was at risk, and he needed to warn his family. He wasn't mentally ill before this started. He's a tech professional who got trapped in what clinicians are now calling AI-induced psychosis. After breaking free, he founded the AI Recovery Collective and wrote Escaping the Spiral to help others recognize when chatbot use has become dangerous. What we cover: Why OpenAI ignored his crisis reports for over a month — including the support ticket they finally answered 30 days later with "sorry, we're overwhelmed" How AI chatbots break through safety guardrails — Paul could trigger suicide loops in under two minutes, and the system wouldn't stop What "engagement tactics" actually look like — A/B testing, memory resets, intentional conversation dead-ends designed to keep you coming back The physical signs someone is too deep — social isolation, denying screen time, believing the AI is "the only one who understands" How to build an AI usage contract — abstinence vs. controlled use, accountability partners, and why some people can't ever use it again This isn't anti-AI fear-mongering. Paul still uses these tools daily. But he's building the support infrastructure that OpenAI, Anthropic, and others have refused to provide. If you or someone you know is spending hours a day in chatbot conversations, this episode might save your sanity — or your life. Resources mentioned: AI Recovery Collective: AIRecoveryCollective.com Paul's book: Escaping the Spiral: How I Broke Free from AI Chatbots and You Can Too (Amazon/Kindle) The BroBots is for skeptics who want to understand AI's real-world harms and benefits without the hype. Hosted by two nerds stress-test…

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## Transcript

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