EP 587: GPT-5 canceled for being a bad therapist? Why that’s a bad idea

When GPT-5 was released last week, the internets were in an UPROAR. One of the main reasons? With the better model, came a new behavior. And in losing GPT-4o, people feel they lost a friend. Their only friend. Or their therapist. Yikes. For this Hot Take Tuesday, we're gonna say why using AI as a therapist is a really, really bad idea. Newsletter: Sign up for our free daily newsletterMore on this Episode: Episode PageJoin the discussion: Thoughts on this? Join the convo and connect with other AI leaders on LinkedIn.Upcoming Episodes: Check out the upcoming Everyday AI Livestream lineupWebsite: YourEverydayAI.comEmail The Show: [email protected] with Jordan on LinkedInTopics Covered in This Episode:GPT-5 Launch Backlash ExplainedUsers Cancel GPT-5 Over Therapy RoleAI Therapy Risks and Dangers DiscussedSycophancy Reduction in GPT-5 ModelAddiction to AI Companionship and ValidationOpenAI’s Response to AI Therapist OutcryIllinois State Ban on AI TherapyMental Health Use Cases for ChatGPTHarvard Study: AI’s Top Personal Support UsesOpenAI’s New Guardrails on ChatGPT TherapyTimestamps:00:00 "AI Therapy: Harm or Help?"04:44 "OpenAI Model Update Controversy"09:23 "Customizing ChatGPT: Echo Chamber Risk"11:38 GPT-5 Update Reduces Sycophancy16:17 Concerns Over AI Dependency19:50 AI Addiction and Societal Bias21:05 AI and Mental Health Concerns27:01 AI Barred from Therapeutic Roles29:22 ChatGPT Enhances Safety and Support Measures34:03 AI Models: Benefits and Misuse35:17 "Human Judgment Over AI Decisions"Keywords:GPT-5, GPT 4o, OpenAI, AI therapy, AI therapist, large language model, AI mental health support, AI companionship, sycophancy, echo chamber, AI validation, custom instructions, AI addiction, AI model update, user revolt, Illinois AI therapy ban, House Bill 1806, AI chatbots, mental health apps, Sentio survey, Harvard Business Review AI use cases, task completion tuning, AI safety, clinical outcomes, AI reasoning, emotional dependence, AI model personality, emotional validation, AI boundaries, US state AI regulation, AI policymaking, therapy ban, AI in mental health, digital companionship, AI model sycophancy rate, AI in personal life, AI for decision making, AI guardrails, AI model tuning, Sam Altman, Silicon Valley AI labs, AI companion, psychology and AI, online petitions against GPT-5, AI as life coach, accessibility of AI therapy, therapy alternatives, AI-driven self help, digital mental health tools, AI echo chamber risksSend Everyday AI and Jordan a text message. (We can't reply back unless you leave contact info) Start Here ▶️Not sure where to start when it comes to AI? Start with our Start Here Series. You can listen to the first drop -- Episode 691 -- or get free access to our Inner Cricle community and all episodes: StartHereSeries.com Also, here's a link to the entire series on a Spotify playlist.