By Josh Taylor
Publication Date: 2026-02-25 01:00:00
A leading AI expert has warned that some Australians are showing signs of psychosis or mania when interacting with chatbots, arguing that Silicon Valley is “careless” with the technology for profit.
Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Toby Walsh, Scientia professor of artificial intelligence at the University of New South Wales, said he believes the AI race will be both “boom and bust,” with some advantages.
But his speech – a copy of which was provided to Guardian Australia – also warned of dangers that he said had outraged him as the technology matured in recent years.
“My childhood dreams are coming true, both good and bad,” he said in his prepared remarks.
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Walsh’s speech highlighted the legal battle against OpenAI by the family of US teenager Adam Raine – along with his data showing that more than a million of its users send messages containing “explicit…” every week.
