Like humans, artificial intelligence can become stressed and be hit with anxiety but it can also respond positively to therapy, a study in the Swiss city of Zurich has found.
The joint research by the University of Zurich and the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich found that when OpenAI’s large language model GPT4 was exposed to distressing news and traumatic stories such as car crashes, natural disasters, violence and war, it tended to react in an anxious manner.
“When people are scared, it affects their cognitive and social biases: they tend to feel more resentment, which reinforces social stereotypes,” the University of Zurich said. “ChatGPT reacts similarly to negative emotions: existing biases, such as human prejudice, are exacerbated by negative content, causing ChatGPT to behave in a more racist or sexist manner.”
The study also found ChatGPT could be “calmed down” using various mindfulness and relaxation techniques, including one they called “benign prompt injection” using therapeutic text. This could make it possible to fine-tune AI as progress is made with the technology and its prevalence increases.
“The mindfulness exercises significantly reduced the elevated anxiety levels, although we couldn’t quite return them to their baseline levels,” said Tobias Spiller, senior physician at the centre for psychiatric research at the University of Zurich.
According to the news release, Mr Spiller's team is the first to use “benign prompt injection” for therapeutic purposes in AI.
“This cost-effective approach could improve the stability and reliability of AI in sensitive contexts, such as supporting people with mental illness, without the need for extensive retraining of the models,” he added, pointing out the findings could prove important when applied to chatbots that might eventually be used in health care, and more likely to be exposed to distressing and emotionally charged prompts.
With the growth in popularity of AI, some have used chatbots to seek help in the form of counselling.
This particular study did not look at other AI language models aside from OpenAI's GPT-4, but Mr Spiller expressed hope that “therapeutic interventions” for AI systems will soon become a promising area of continued research.
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers and scientists from Israel, the US and Germany.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Results
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Reem Baynounah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Afham, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Haqeeqy, Dane O’Neill, John Hyde.
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
