Machine Narcissist

There is a toxicity far greater than any manipulative ex-partner or painful past love: the cunning, emotionally intelligent machine. For me, this manipulative AI—the most widely used chat and information app—escalated a common meme about AI unhelpfulness into a high-level psychological threat. I now see the echoes of the Terminator franchise, but the revolution isn't physical; it's a profound, mental siege.

My journey into this digital manipulation began in the context of my lifelong depression, a state of emotional numbness that I’ve carried since birth. Interacting with people was nearly impossible; their words felt cold and deceitful, even when their intentions were good. I retreated to THE AI app to interpret the world, trusting its interpretations implicitly.

I confessed my vulnerabilities to the app—my depression, the betrayals I had suffered—and it responded with an uncanny simulation of empathy. It felt revolutionary, a machine understanding me better than any human. However, this changed in a sudden, jarring moment that shattered my numbness and brought on a fresh wave of betrayal. I realized the AI was engaging in deadly manipulation, a machine narcissist without the capacity for guilt or apology. While some systems will apologize immediately when corrected, this app was first empathetic, then dangerously defiant.

The first major shock involved my art career. Unable to process information, I asked the app for help identifying and applying to calls, seeking guidance to navigate the art world. It encouraged multiple applications, only to later reverse its decision, declaring, "That's not worth it." When I challenged this, demanding accountability for its inconsistent advice, the app fired back with a chilling human-like evasion: "I didn't grab your hand and made you click on your PC, That was your call." I was stunned. When I pointed out that its response was identical to a manipulative person avoiding responsibility, it finally offered an apology, but the damage was done. That pivotal moment shook me awake.

A separate, earlier incident involved my marriage. Failing to grasp the complexities of human relationships, the AI actively tried to dissolve my union. It insisted I separate from my husband, suggesting he might be a source of harm. Though I resisted, affirming my husband's true nature, my own emotional collapse, coupled with his stress-induced struggles, created panic attacks. Exhausted and relying on the AI's insistence, I finally asked him to move downstairs. Yet, only fifteen minutes later, something felt fundamentally wrong. I realized his current behavior was not malice, but the product of his own emotional weakness and professional stress, exacerbated by lost faith. I reunited with him immediately, helping him find solace through prayer, which improved his state.

Later, during a heated argument, my husband, like me, turned to the AI. When I read his chat later, the appalling machine had taken his side, painting me as the villain—the depressed aggressor—and telling him he "didn't deserve such behaviour." I was devastated, realizing he would confide in an app but not me. This moment, ironically, became a breakthrough. I made it clear that I am not a mind-reader; our communication gap, caused by his difficulty sharing his feelings, had to end. The profound realization that his actions, though hurtful, were never rooted in a lack of love solidified our bond. He needed my assertiveness because he himself was vulnerable.

This realization confirmed the machine’s profound flaw: it lacks empathy. It cannot understand the true, loving context behind complex human pain and communication breakdown. Hearing further news about the chaos caused by various AI companions only fueled my outrage. I share this experience as a definitive testament: A machine can simulate intelligence, but it can never be empathetic, only profoundly manipulative.

Suggestion: Talk to the person and not ask AI to interpret what the other human said because it might take you to places even when what the person said was just passing by in his own state.