AI job cuts and mental‑health chatbot use raise public anxiety

A U.S. research team examined 1,454 Reddit comments from users who lost jobs to artificial intelligence. Using emotion‑analysis tools, they identified seven dominant feelings: betrayal by employers, erosion of professional identity, technological stress, devaluation of skills, anxiety about future employability, a drive for self‑validation, and anger toward managers. While a shallow sentiment detector labeled most remarks positive, a deeper BERT model recognized the overall tone as largely negative, noting sarcasm and irony in many posts.

A separate AXA and Ipsos survey of 19,000 respondents in 18 European countries found that 63 % have consulted AI tools for mental‑health concerns. Of those, 45 % were dissatisfied with the advice, and 38 % said they trust chat‑based AI more than professional therapists. Experts warned that generative AI lacks true understanding of emotions, may reinforce harmful thinking, and poses privacy risks, underscoring that AI is not a substitute for qualified mental‑health care.