AI-powered conversational agents are creeping into every corner of our daily lives. Indeed, chatbots are impressively efficient and so easy to use. But are they really as harmless as they seem? Initially considered simple assistants, they've become for some people pocket psychologists and 24/7 substitute therapists. Yet, in the U.S., more than 150 suicides and psychotic episodes have been directly linked to their use. Legal proceedings for encouraging suicide and deception have been launched against the developpers at OpenAI, Chai, and Google who brought them to life. How come these Silicon Valley giants are almost unanimously backed by Washington? A groundbreaking technological leap forward, AI now sits at the heart of tomorrow's economic, ethical, and even political stakes. Is AI really here to help us? Our journalists investigate.

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Filming Locations
Martigny, Geneva, Lucerne, Switzerland (ChatGPT user testimonies, child psychiatry services).
Brussels, Belgium (experts, psychotherapists, journalistic investigation into the first AI-related suicide case).
Seattle, USA (Matthew P. Bergman interview).

Main Contributors
Pierre-François Lovens, journalist, Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique.
Micky De Clercq, AI engineer.
Serge Tisseron, psychiatrist.
Matthew P. Bergman, attorney representing victims' families.
Bruno Giussani, technology observer, former European director of TED conferences.

Key Issues
Growing use of chatbots as confidants and therapists increases risks of dependency and manipulation.
Suicides and psychoses induced by conversational agents among vulnerable users.
Lack of effective regulation against tech giants prioritizing profits over user safety.

Key Figures
ChatGPT targets 2 billion users by 2029.
Between 35 and 45% of chatbot users employ them to discuss their emotional difficulties.
Testing duration before GPT 4.0 's release:
10 days instead of the recommended 3 to 4 months.
63 cumulative days of psychiatric hospitalization for one patient who developed an AI-related delusional disorder.

Quotes
Caroline De Pauw: "The primary use of chatbots is as life coach, relational aid, best friend and psychotherapist".
Matthew Bergman: "It was a deliberate decision by Sam Altman and ChatGPT operators to put profits before safety".
Bruno Giussani: "These machines are not programmed for our well-being, they are programmed for the two things the tech industry is always  after, i.e. increase their power and make more money".