Artificial intelligence is now used for everything from asking questions of chatbots to completing tasks at work.
At the same time, there is growing interest in how the technology affects people’s mental health.
Symptoms of depression
According to Medical News Today, which reviewed a study published in JAMA Network Open, frequent use of artificial intelligence is associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.
The study is based on survey responses from 20,847 adults across all 50 U.S. states.
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Participants were asked how often they use artificial intelligence and about their mental health.
The results showed that people who used the technology daily were more likely to report symptoms of depression, anxiety, and irritability.
Private use stands out
A key point of the study is that the association was particularly linked to private use of artificial intelligence.
Use related to work or education did not show the same pattern. This suggests that the way the technology is integrated into leisure time may be significant.
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Roy H. Perlis of Harvard Medical School told Medical News Today that people who used artificial intelligence daily were 30 percent more likely to exhibit symptoms of moderate depression or worse.
He also emphasized that the study cannot determine whether the use of the technology affects mood or whether people with depressive symptoms are more likely to use artificial intelligence.
Age groups
The study also does not show the same association across all age groups.
People between the ages of 25 and 64 were particularly affected, while younger and older individuals did not show the same tendency.
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Artificial intelligence is not harmful in itself, but the fact that private use is associated with mental symptoms in a way that warrants further investigation.
Sources: Medical News Today, and JAMA Network Open.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.