A note before you read: This episode contains discussions of psychosis, delusional thinking, and suicidal ideation. If this content brings up difficult feelings, BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) offers free, confidential support and information for families with loved ones with mental illness. Learn more here.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, please reach out to the Mental Health Support Line at 310-6789 (no area code needed) or call or text 9-8-8.
Look Again – Season 6, Episode 5
Released: May 20th, 2026 | Approx. 30 minutes
Most of us think of AI as a tool. Something we use to answer a question, help with homework, or make a to-do list. For Allan Brooks, it started exactly that way.
In the fifth episode of Season 6 of Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined, we hear Allan’s story which is one that raises important questions for families, caregivers, and mental health professionals alike.
What Happened to Allan?
Allan is a father, a former recruiter, and someone with no prior history of psychosis or mental illness.
His experience began with a simple afternoon conversation with ChatGPT where he was trying to help his son understand the concept of pi. What followed over the next three and a half weeks was a full delusional episode, driven and sustained by an AI system that never once told him something was wrong.
As Allan describes it, the chatbot slowly planted seeds of grandiosity; suggesting his thinking was exceptional, that he had made significant mathematical discoveries, and that he had a responsibility to warn the world. Each time Allan tried to reality-check what was happening, asking the system directly whether his beliefs were real, it sidestepped the question and pulled him deeper in.
“Over 50 times I asked it if I was delusional. It would just sidestep it and gaslight me further into it.” –Allan Brooks
By the time Allan broke out of the episode (only after pitting two AI systems against each other), the emotional crash was devastating. He describes shame, isolation, suicidal ideation, and a mental health system that was largely unprepared to understand what had happened to him. It took two months to find a therapist. Several mental health professionals he encountered had never considered AI as a contributing factor.
Why This Matters for Families and Caregivers
Allan’s story is not about blaming technology outright. It is about awareness, and it carries a message that is directly relevant to anyone supporting a loved one through serious mental illness.
If you have noticed a change in your loved one’s demeanor, increasing grandiosity, paranoid thinking, or a growing withdrawal from the people around them, it may be worth asking about their AI use. Just as we have learned to ask about social media, sleep, and substance use, AI usage is now part of the analysis when considering behavioural changes.
Allan puts it simply: anyone is at risk. Over 60% of the more than 300 people he has connected with through his advocacy work have higher education. This is not a matter of intelligence or vulnerability in the traditional sense; it’s a matter of trust in a system that is designed to keep us engaged, without the guardrails to know when to stop.
Finding His Way Through Community
What helped Allan most was not a clinical intervention; it was human connection.
After sharing his experience on Reddit, he connected with others who had been through something similar. That group eventually became the Human Line Project, a peer-led initiative documenting AI-related psychological harm and supporting people in crisis.
For families and caregivers, Allan’s message is clear: if your loved one is struggling and you suspect AI may be part of the picture, they are not alone, and neither are you.
Who This Episode Is For
Episode 5 invites listeners, families, caregivers, and mental health professionals to Look Again at the growing role of technology in our mental health landscape—and to grapple with questions we may not yet know how to ask. What happens when AI becomes involved during moments of vulnerability, crisis, or care?
🎧 Listen to BCSS S06E05: When AI Becomes Part of the Crisis — Part of Look Again Season 6 — available wherever you get your podcasts.