Holding the Human Line w/ Allan Brooks and Etienne Brisson

Etienne Brisson and Allan Brooks, founder and program director of The Human Line Project, sat down with me to talk about AI-induced psychological harm, starting with their own experiences. Allan spent a month spiraling with ChatGPT, ending with him warning national security agencies about an encryption break that never happened. Etienne's uncle became convinced his chatbot was sentient and was hospitalized still messaging it from the back of a police car.

From there we get into why the community rejects "AI psychosis," what's driving these spirals, and whether anthropomorphic language is doing more damage than we admit. We also get into Allan's litigation against OpenAI, why Etienne thinks consequences are the only substitute for missing incentives, and whether these concerns are just a new moral panic. If you're interested in listening in greater detail, check out the extended version on the Kairos.fm Patreon.

The Human Line Project runs a free peer support community. If you're struggling, findahelpline.com will route you to support wherever you are.

NOTE: Jacob volunteers some of his time with The Human Line Project.

Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(04:26) - Allan's Story

(30:20) - Etienne's Story

(40:32) - We Don't Like "AI Psychosis"

(47:58) - Why Is This Happening?

(59:58) - Anthropomorphization of AI

(01:13:21) - Narratives & Accountability?