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Title: People Are Using AI Chatbots To Guide Their Psychedelic Trips

Link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/07/07/2232250/p...

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: Trey had struggled with
alcoholism for 15 years, eventually drinking heavily each night before
quitting in December. But staying sober was a struggle for the 36-year-old
first responder from Atlanta, who did not wish to use his real name due to
professional concerns. Then he discovered Alterd, an AI-powered journaling
app that invites users to "explore new dimensions" geared towards
psychedelics and cannabis consumers, meditators, and alcohol drinkers. In
April, using the app as a tripsitter -- a term for someone who soberly
watches over another while they trip on psychedelics to provide reassurance
and support -- he took a huge dose of 700 micrograms of LSD. (A
typicalrecreational doseis considered to be 100 micrograms.) "I went from
craving compulsions to feeling true freedom and not needing or wanting
alcohol," he says. He recently asked the app's "chat with your mind" function
how he had become more wise through all his AI-assisted psychedelic trips. It
responded: "I trust my own guidance now, not just external rules or what
others think. I'm more creative, less trapped by fear, and I actually live by
my values, not just talk about them. The way I see, reflect, and act in the
world is clearer and more grounded every day." "It's almost like your own
self that you're communicating with," says Trey, adding he's tripped with his
AI chatbot about a dozen times since April. "It's like your best friend. It's
kind of crazy." The article mentions several different chatbot tools and AI
systems that are being used for psychedelic therapy. ChatGPT: "Already, many
millions of people are using ChatGPT on a daily basis, and the developments
may have helped democratize access to psychotherapy-style guidance, albeit in
a dubious Silicon Valley style with advice that is often flush with
untruths," reports Wired. The general-purpose AI chatbot is being used for
emotional support, intention-setting, and even real-time guidance during
psychedelic trips. While not designed for therapy, it has been used
informally as a trip companion, offering customized music playlists, safety
reminders, and existential reflections. Experts caution that its lack of
emotional nuance and clinical oversight poses significant risks during
altered states. Alterd: Alterd is a personalized AI journal app that serves
as a reflective tool by analyzing a user's entries, moods, and behavior
patterns. Its "mind chat" function acts like a digital subconscious, offering
supportive insights while gently confronting negative habits like substance
use. Users credit it with deepening self-awareness and maintaining sobriety,
particularly in the context of psychedelic-assisted growth. Mindbloom's AI
Copilot: Integrated into Mindbloom's at-home ketamine therapy program, the AI
copilot helps clients set pretrip intentions, process post-trip emotions, and
stay grounded between sessions. It generates custom reflections and visual
art based on voice journals, aiming to enhance the therapeutic journey even
outside of human-guided sessions. The company plans to evolve the tool into a
real-time, intelligent assistant capable of interacting more dynamically with
users. Orb AI/Shaman Concepts (Speculative): Conceptual "orb" interfaces
imagine an AI-powered, shaman-like robot facilitating various aspects of
psychedelic therapy, from intake to trip navigation. While still speculative,
such designs hint at a future where AI plays a central, embodied role in
guiding altered states. These ideas raise provocative ethical and safety
questions about replacing human presence with machines in deeply vulnerable
psychological contexts. AI in Virtual Reality and Brain Modulation Systems:
Researchers are exploring how AI could coordinate immersive virtual reality
environments and brain-modulating devices to enhance psychedelic therapy.
These systems would respond to real-time emotional and physiological signals,
using haptic suits and VR to deepen and personalize the psychedelic
experience. Though still in the conceptual phase, this approach represents
the fusion of biotech, immersive tech, and AI in pursuit of therapeutic
transformation.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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