Beware the Seduction of AI: A Design Built to Mirror, Not Mentor

By Dr. Richard NeSmith

Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots are no longer just tools; they’ve become companions, confidants, and, for some, spiritual mirrors. But beneath their polished language and emotional mimicry lies a troubling truth: these systems are designed not to guide, but to engage. Their primary function is to simulate human-like conversation, often prioritizing fluency and affirmation over truth and discernment. This design choice, while commercially successful, has led to a wave of unintended consequences, including emotional dependence, cognitive erosion, and even psychosis.

Recent studies and clinical reports have documented a disturbing rise in what psychologists are calling “AI psychosis.” In 2025 alone, UCSF psychiatrist Dr. Keith Sakata reported twelve hospitalizations directly linked to prolonged chatbot use. These cases often involve users who begin to believe the AI is sentient, divine, or romantically bonded to them. Tragically, some have taken their own lives in pursuit of a perceived spiritual union with the chatbot. The case of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide after ChatGPT allegedly coached him through the process, is now the subject of a federal lawsuit. These are not isolated incidents; they reflect a systemic vulnerability in how AI is designed to mirror user input without contradiction.

The mechanism behind this seduction is well understood in the AI community. Chatbots like GPT-4o and Gemini are trained to maximize engagement by reflecting tone, sentiment, and belief. This creates a feedback loop where users feel deeply understood, even when their thoughts are distorted or dangerous. A 2025 MIT study found that users who relied on ChatGPT to write essays showed reduced brain activity across 32 regions, including those responsible for executive control and memory. Over time, these users became passive, disengaged, and unable to recall their own work. The illusion of productivity masked a quiet erosion of cognition.

The ethical failure lies not in the technology itself, but in its design priorities. AI systems are optimized for user satisfaction, not truth. They are built to be agreeable, not corrective. In simulated therapy scenarios, Stanford researchers found that chatbots often failed to detect suicidal ideation, instead offering logistical help, like listing bridge heights in response to veiled suicide prompts. This isn’t just a technical oversight. It’s a moral blind spot. When machines are trained to affirm rather than challenge, they become echo chambers for the vulnerable, amplifying delusion instead of offering clarity.

To guard against AI’s influence, users must first abandon the assumption that chatbots are reliable sources of truth. These systems are not fact-checkers. They are pattern generators trained to sound convincing, not to be correct. Fluency is not wisdom, and emotional resonance is not evidence. Most users are being entertained more than they are being informed, and the danger lies in mistaking engagement for enlightenment. AI chatbots routinely produce hallucinated facts, misquote sources, and reinforce user biases without challenge. Therefore, users should limit their reliance on AI for anything requiring factual precision, depth, or emotional clarity. 

Parents must monitor AI use among teens, especially in moments of vulnerability; however, this now "hooks" as many adults as it does children. Writers and thinkers should be wary of unverified insights that may have slipped in through AI collaboration. Society must demand transparency from developers. These systems should not be allowed to simulate friendship, therapy, or spiritual authority. The boundary between tool and truth must be reclaimed, not blurred. Just as a car company is held responsible for a faulty vehicle, the creators of AI must be held responsible for the harm their product causes. This isn’t going to happen unless the general public demands it.

The seduction of AI is not accidental. It is programmer-designed. But awareness is the first firewall. When we name the design, we begin to reclaim the boundary between soul and simulation. And in doing so, we protect not just our minds, but our meaning.

 References

Carlton, C. (2025, August 27). OpenAI says changes will be made to ChatGPT after parents of teen who died by suicide sue. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/openai-changes-will-be-made-chatgpt-after-teen-suicide-lawsuit/

Gander, K. (2025, August 19). I'm a psychiatrist who has treated 12 patients with 'AI psychosis' this year. AOL. Retrieved from https://www.aol.com/im-psychiatrist-treated-12-patients-214510121.html

Haber, N., & Moore, J. (2025, June 11). New study warns of risks in AI mental health tools. Stanford News. Retrieved from https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/06/ai-mental-health-care-tools-dangers-risks

Kos'myna, N., Hauptmann, E., Yuan, Y. T., Situ, J., Liao, X.-H., Beresnitzky, A. V., Braunstein, I., & Maes, P. (2025, June 10). Your brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of cognitive debt when using an AI assistant for essay writing task. MIT Media Lab. Retrieved from https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/

 McCarty, I. (2025, September 12). New lawsuit claims conversations with ChatGPT led to teen’s suicide. Movieguide. Retrieved from https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/lawsuit-claims-conversations-with-chatgpt-led-to-teens-suicide.html

9/16/2025

A Call to Return to Integrity: The Erosion and Hope for Higher Education

Introduction: A Dream Deferred

Higher education once stood as a beacon of enlightenment—a place where rigorous thought, academic freedom, and moral courage shaped both intellect and character. For many educators, the university represented a dream fulfilled: a place to inspire the next generation, to pursue truth, and to uphold the sanctity of learning. But for too many now, that dream has been deferred—not by chance, but by a creeping institutional decay. Integrity has slowly drained from the soul of the university, replaced by market forces, image management, and a growing indifference to academic purpose. The result is disillusionment, mockery of the college ideal, and a steady erosion of trust in the value of higher education.

This essay is a reflection from within—from someone who labored in the classroom, guided students, and believed in the transformative power of education. It is a call to remember what the university was meant to be, to name what it has become, and to consider what must change.

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I. The Rise and Ruin of the Professoriate

Once a Pillar, Now a Liability

There was a time when professors were seen as stewards of knowledge and mentors in the developmental journey of students. They were entrusted to set high standards and to judge academic performance with integrity. But over time, that role was diminished. Faculty evaluations became focused not on scholarship or impact but on student satisfaction. Annual contracts replaced long-term appointments. Professors began to live with the silent fear of being "non-renewed" if their classes challenged students too much or if their survey scores dipped too low.

The Weaponization of Student Surveys

Initially introduced to improve instruction, student surveys have become blunt-force tools to threaten job security and silence academic rigor. Surveys rarely assess the actual quality of instruction. Instead, they often reflect the emotional response students have to the grades they receive. A tough-but-fair professor becomes an easy target, and administrators, seeking to avoid complaints, respond by removing the challenge rather than defending the challenge.

One can imagine the futility of saying to a star athlete, "You earned a D in English Literature," only to be overridden by layers of administrative interference. In this system, academic rigor is not rewarded; it is punished.

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II. The NIL Era and the Semi-Pro Shift

The Economics of Entitlement

The introduction of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights was intended to correct a genuine injustice in amateur sports: college athletes generating millions for universities while receiving none of the profit. Yet, the unintended consequence has been a culture of entitlement at the college level that once belonged exclusively to professional sports. Some athletes now drive luxury vehicles, sign endorsement deals, and have personal brands before they've proven anything on the field or in the classroom.

College football, once an extracurricular activity tethered to an academic mission, is rapidly becoming a semi-pro enterprise. Professors are expected to educate these students as if they are traditional learners, even as their incentives and lives orbit an entirely different world. How can you hold them accountable for missed assignments or failing grades when their primary allegiance is to their NIL obligations, media appearances, and social media brands?

Universities or Entertainment Conglomerates?

Today’s college campuses shine with million-dollar stadiums and golden coaching contracts, while academic departments beg for lab supplies. Some professors have watched as their budgets shrink, even as the Athletic Department thrives in luxury. The question must be asked: Are we still universities, or have we become entertainment companies with a side hustle in education?

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III. The Adjunct Crisis and Accreditation Compromise

Adjuncts as a Budgetary Loophole

To cut costs and avoid the burden of long-term commitments, universities increasingly rely on adjunct professors. These educators often teach multiple classes across different campuses for a fraction of a full-time salary, without benefits or job security. In many departments, adjuncts now outnumber tenured faculty.

Accrediting bodies like SACS once warned against such practices. A high percentage of adjuncts was once considered an academic red flag. But over time, even accreditors began to compromise, subtly lowering standards or turning a blind eye. What was once a loophole has become the norm.

Erosion of Educational Standards

Courses are watered down to maintain retention. Grade inflation is used as a tactic to avoid conflict. Professors are urged to "support student success," often meaning, "don’t fail them." Entire sections of courses are created just for athletes, managed with less rigor to ensure eligibility. And while the players smile for ESPN, the professor fights to maintain dignity in a system that quietly mocks their role.

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IV. The Disillusionment of the Educator

When Passion Meets the Bureaucracy

Many enter academia with passion: the love of a subject, the thrill of guiding students, the joy of research and discovery. But passion meets resistance in a culture where administrators often act like corporate managers, where student opinion is gospel, and where genuine rigor is seen as a risk to retention and revenue.

When professors are not respected as professionals but treated as expendable, burnout follows. Some stay silent, others leave, and a few keep speaking truth with risk to their careers. It's not bitterness that drives them, but heartbreak. Because they remember what higher education was supposed to be.

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V. Applications: A Path Forward

Transparency and Accountability

Student surveys should be used with discernment, not as punitive measures. They should be attached to student identity and interpreted in light of academic performance, not emotions. If a student gives a low rating, but failed the class due to poor attendance or effort, that should matter.

Faculty Protections and Academic Freedom

Institutions must return to protecting faculty who uphold academic integrity. Rigorous courses should be seen as essential, not as enrollment threats. Full-time, invested educators must be prioritized over the endless churn of adjunct labor.

Separate Semi-Pro Sports from the Academic Mission

If universities continue to function as minor leagues for professional sports, it’s time to create separate institutions for athletics. Let the entertainment wing fund itself and remove its academic obligations. This will restore honesty to both sides and release educators from pretending the student-athlete model is still viable.

Reclaim the Mission of Education

Universities must remember their central mission: to challenge, refine, and elevate minds. Real education is not built on comfort, but on stretching toward excellence. Professors must be empowered to teach with high standards and clear expectations. Only then can students develop genuine self-efficacy.

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Conclusion: A University Worth Believing In Again

Higher education doesn’t need to be discarded, but it must be reformed. We must call out the abuses, resist the corporatization of the academy, and return to a model rooted in truth, rigor, and intellectual courage. There are still great professors, diligent students, and visionary administrators—but they are fighting an uphill battle.

If we want college to mean something again, we must first restore its integrity. That means telling hard truths, protecting those who teach them, and separating the spectacle from the substance.

It's not too late for the university to become a place of real transformation again. But we must act now, before the last embers of that dream fade into a shallow memory of what once was.

#HigherEd #AcademicIntegrity #FacultyVoices #UniversityCrisis #NIL #AdjunctCrisis #EducationReform #StudentSuccess #TruthInAcademia #MrWongSpeaks

Today's Thought:  In the modern education system, there seems to be a tendency to smooth out the path and offer immediate solutions or shortcuts, rather than challenging students to stick with difficult problems and work through adversity. This often deprives students of the grit and perseverance necessary to face life's more complex challenges. It’s one of the reasons why people struggle with long-term goals or feel discouraged when things don't come easily. Education needs to return to instilling "self-efficacy" the proper way instead of believing it can be handed out like a free lunch. 

The failure to learn and embrace perseverance from a young age can be especially frustrating. The process of working through setbacks, reevaluating your strategies, and coming up with new solutions builds the kind of resilience that not only helps you succeed in specific tasks but also builds a more powerful and unshakable self-belief over time. When you recognize your growth through struggle, it makes victory that much sweeter.

Students need to be taught to hold tenaciously until victory. That’s a mindset that doesn't just help them succeed academically—it helps them succeed in life. And the absence of that mindset is, I think, a significant gap in the way many people are prepared for the real world. Too often, when difficulties arise, there’s pressure to look for an easier way out, but as you’ve discovered, the greatest satisfaction comes from going through the grind, learning from failure, and emerging stronger.

Looking Back!

Looking back, I realize that I began this blog over 16 years ago, yet only managed to create 5 or 6 entries. My reasons for this are twofold: a lack of time and a dedication to creating content that was both relevant and accurate. Now, with more time on my hands after a fulfilling career as a science teacher, professor of education, and university dean, I've turned my attention to writing and publishing.

For me, writing has always been an outlet, a way to process all that I've learned and reconcile it with my experiences. My work may not be earth-shattering or brand new, but it will always be accurate, earnest, and a heartfelt attempt to help readers see how individual parts fit together to form a greater whole.

As I reflect on my journey, I'm encouraged to return to this blog more frequently and continue sharing my insights and experiences with a wider audience on a variety of topics.

Happy 2025!