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“I applied to be pope”: Losing grip on reality while using ChatGPT
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Overview
Tom Millar, a 53-year-old former prison officer from Sudbury, Canada, claimed to have made groundbreaking discoveries about unlimited fusion energy, black holes, and a unifying theory of the universe while using ChatGPT. Inspired by his revelations, he applied to be pope to share his insights with the world.
Summary from thestandard.com.hk.
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Hacker News · thestandard.com.hk
Hacker News discussion ↗
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Based on 5 sampled comments from this thread. Analyzed 2026-05-13.
- Praise: The discussion highlights the potential of LLMs to influence human behavior, suggesting a new frontier in understanding psychological impacts.
- Praise: Some commenters recognize that while delusions existed before, LLMs provide unprecedented access to continuous interaction, which could amplify psychological effects.
- Concern: Concerns are raised about LLMs potentially inducing psychosis and mental health issues on a large scale, indicating a need for caution in AI deployment.
- Concern: The conversation reflects skepticism towards the idea that LLMs are merely a continuation of past behaviors, emphasizing their unique impact on society.