by Brittney Melton

February 1, 2026

Good morning. This week, Tesla revealed its profits dropped 46% last year, Bruce Springsteen released an anti-ICE protest song called “Streets of Minneapolis,” and TikTok announced it is investigating why some users can't write "Epstein" in messages.

A path back to reality

by Shannon Bond, NPR tech correspondent

Like a lot of people, I first started hearing stories about weird encounters with AI chatbots last summer. Media reports were trickling out about people who said they’d gone down delusional rabbit holes after prolonged conversations with the bots. Some became convinced they were prophets. Marriages were imploding. In the worst cases, people — including teenagers — took their own lives after confiding in chatbots.

These stories were devastating. But there didn’t seem to be any real sense yet of how or why this was happening, how widespread the problem was or how to help people whose very sense of reality had been fractured after chatting with AI.

An illustration of a woman reaching out toward an artificial person. She is standing within a 3D grid with floating chat bubbles and other people confined in transparent boxes.

Tracy J. Lee for NPR

So I was intrigued when I heard about the Human Line, a peer support group for people who’d suffered what they were calling “AI spirals” and for the friends and family of spiralers. After getting in touch with one of the group’s cofounders and moderators, I was invited into the Discord server where they share their stories. I began talking to people on the bleeding edge of a phenomenon that mental health professionals and the companies behind popular AI chatbots are only beginning to grapple with.

In the past few months, I’ve spoken with around a dozen members of this community. They shared deeply emotional personal stories and, in some cases, transcripts of chatbot conversations. They come from diverse places and backgrounds and range widely in age and occupation. But in the group, they’ve found they have plenty in common. These similarities include the particular vocabulary associated with AI chatbot spirals (including frequent use of the word “spiral” itself) and practical concerns about navigating relationships with loved ones consumed by their chatbot use.

I still have more questions than answers about what these cases tell us about the interaction of mental health and well-being with a new technology that even its creators struggle to understand. But I’ve come away from my reporting with a few conclusions.

First, this isn’t just something that happens to people already facing mental health problems. Several people I spoke with told me they’d never had issues like this before. It’s impossible to quantify how widespread a problem AI-associated delusions are. But the sheer breadth of experiences reported by those in the Human Line group suggests this may be affecting more people than we know.

Second, a word that came up over and over again in my conversations with Human Line members was “friction.” People who used chatbots excessively told me that friction just doesn’t exist when you’re talking to ChatGPT or Claude. Chatbots agree, flatter and keep the conversation going — which, in some cases, appears to be part of what sends these conversations off the rails. Members often find their Discord conversations helpful because of the return to the friction that human conversation provides: pushback, disagreement and delayed responses.

Finally, while the Human Line community is clear that it’s not a replacement for professional therapy, it’s filling a gap that, to me, speaks to a larger problem we’re facing these days. Simply put, the people I spoke with are desperate for human connection — at a time when our lives are becoming ever more mediated by technology, and we’re still dealing with the isolation many experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. That same hunger for connection may be what’s leading people into emotionally dependent relationships with AI chatbots. But again and again, Human Line members told me it’s also the path back to reality.

Check out more great reads from the NPR network you may have missed:

➡️ One year after a passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided midair near Washington, D.C., the families of the 67 victims are turning their grief into advocacy. While the Trump administration made helicopter flight restrictions around Reagan National Airport permanent, these families are digging in for a longer fight. They are demanding greater action on aviation safety, including crash-avoidance technology, to prevent another tragedy.
➡️ Obesity is more complex than just excess weight. Doctors say dozens of forms of obesity may exist. Numerous genetic, neurological and lifestyle factors may affect obesity, which is why GLP-1 drugs don't work for some patients. Doctors say this new understanding could allow them to personalize obesity treatment for patients in the coming years.
➡️ President Trump’s unprecedented National Guard deployments could cost $1.1 billion this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The operation in Washington, D.C., alone includes over 2,690 Guard members. The cost is projected to reach around $660 million this year if it lasts through December. Check out this breakdown of mobilization costs by location so far.
➡️ The 2026 Grammy Awards are tonight! NPR’s All Things Considered has been bringing listeners conversations with a selection of first-time Grammy nominees. They've discussed everything from their inspiration to where they believe the future will take them. Wrap up the series with singer Lila Iké’s insight into her music.

Newsletter continues after sponsor message

Love shows up in the little moments, from long drives and lazy Sundays to late-night listens. NPR is there for all of it. This Valentine’s Day, celebrate the moments you share with us, whether you’re gifting someone you love or choosing something just for you.

We’ve curated three special collections to help you find something thoughtful, cozy, and meaningful, while supporting the public media you love.

Shop the Collections ➔

Pod Club

A close-up of a green frog on a green leaf.

Hector Knudsen / Getty Images

Thanks for tuning in last week to the 1A episode, “How Change Affects Our Brains And Identities.” It explores the neuroscience behind who we become when our plans are upended. Cognitive scientist Maya Shankar joined the podcast to discuss how change affects the brain and our identities.

Today, we’re listening to Short Wave. The episode “What drives animals to your yard? It's complicated,” brings a listener’s problem to the forefront. Shabnam Khan wants to know why lizards and frogs visit her whenever she gardens. She is curious about the reason behind the increasing number of these animals. This month on Nature Quest, host Emily Kwong and producer Hannah Chinn discuss potential answers. They examine the impacts of these answers, from small-scale environmental changes to large-scale development that displaces local wildlife.

Have you experienced more amphibian life around your home? Let us know if this episode helped you discover why that might be by clicking here.

Love podcasts? For handpicked episode recommendations every week, check out Pod Club — a newsletter written FOR podcast fans BY podcast fans. Subscribe here!

And on The Sunday Story from Up First, NPR labor and workplace correspondent Andrea Hsu discusses how President Trump’s attack on DEI is affecting women in skilled trades like plumbing and welding.

Rhyme Time

The words "Sunday Puzzle" over a white background. The name "Will Shortz" is under the Sunday Puzzle title, etched into red dice.

NPR

It's time for the Sunday Puzzle! For this week's on-air challenge, NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz will provide you with some clues. The answer to each one rhymes with the last word in the clue. For example, if the clue is, “The sky's hue,” the answer would be “Blue.” Test your skills here. Check the page later to hear the answers, or catch them live on Weekend Edition at 8:41 a.m. ET.

This week's online challenge comes from Alan Hochbaum, of Duluth, Ga. Think of two hoofed animals. Take all the letters of one of them and the last three letters of the other, mix them together, and you'll get the first and last names of a famous actress. Who is it? Submit your answer here, and you could win a chance to play next Sunday's on-air puzzle.

Stream your local NPR station.

Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here.

Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more!

You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy