The Pharmaceutical Industry Will Use AI For Another Disaster

Reports are showing that AI is already influencing telehealth platforms for medications via promotional pop-ups. Let’s discuss how this is possible.

According to the Chat and File Retention Policies In ChatGPT, when we use ChatGPT, those discussions can be deleted immediately from one’s account and then permanently removed from OpenAI However, other accounts such as wikihow show that OpenAI will save your data to ‘train’ future AI models and the only real way to delete your discussions is by deleting your OpenAI account. So, if OpenAI has saved your data, what does it do with it?

While OpenAI claims it is training future AI Models, other accounts are pointing to the use of additional advertising in the form of pop-up ads. These ads are based on the context of your discussions with ChatGPT. According to CNN, the new non-subscribers of ChatGPT will start to see a sponsored ad at the bottom of the conversations. This can definitely be a positive for certain consumer questions, such as, say, asking about the best cleaning supplies. Asking ChatGPT what’s the best product to remove a stain in a shirt sounds like a great AI tool. What happens when the questions pertain to medical and mental health inquiries? The answer is:AI promoting medications.

Bloomberg Insider is reporting that there are already plenty of mental services that utilize AI tools to promote medications and offer easy prescriptions. Telehealth services such as Done, Klarna, ADHDonline, and Circle Medical are all referenced in this article. The reporter describes an easy intake process that led to a simple discussion with a “cerebral nurse” who then prescribed him Adderall. That’s it. You fill out some forms, the AI algorithm sees the list of symptoms and connects you with a medical provider who will give you a prescription in less than a 15-minute discussion. The medication is an amphetamine that is addictive and can easily be abused. Now imagine what happens when the AI algorithm picks up other medical and psychiatric conditions?. Is it really that easy?

If this is the future of psychiatric medications, there is a lot of risk for addiction and abuse. The writer of the Bloomberg article states that he probably did not meet the criteria for adult ADHD, yet was still able to receive a prescription for Adderall. We have already seen what happens when companies like Purdue push opiates onto their patients. So what happens when AI is now in charge?

It might look something like this: John turns to ChatGPT to work through the anxiety he is experiencing at work. ChatGPT validates the stressful situation he is in, and even makes some stress reduction suggestions such as meditating, going on a walk, or reaching out to a friend. Then, John starts to see pop-up advertisements for telehealth psychiatric services for treating anxiety. These ads strongly promote the benefits of medications like Xanax. John is curious and signs up for one of these services. He books a 30 minute appointment at 4pm and has a prescription for xanax by 4:30 pm. As time goes by, John becomes more and more dependent on Xanax in order to get through his day.

This is terrifying if obtaining a prescription for Xanax is this simple. A better course of action would be for John to reach out to a therapist and a medical provider, perhaps a group practice that offers both services, so the providers can collaborate on a treatment plan. Maybe medications really are necessary for John at the moment. Perhaps Xanax is what a reasonable psychiatrist determines as the right course of action, but it also might not be. Having a real psychiatrist, preferably one who spends more than just 30 minutes with you, can help determine what medications to take–and can also go over the risks of these medications. Seeing a therapist to help regulate the anxiety is probably the best course for treatment. CBT protocols that can be completed in eight to fourteen weeks have shown tremendous results in reducing anxiety. None of this is really happening in the example above. There is no therapist, just ChatGPT He never completes a thorough intake process and is given a prescription for a highly addictive substance.

It’s January 2026, and the ads for ChatGPT just started to appear at the bottom of the discussions. The promotion of telehealth is already appearing in pop-up ads. It’s just a matter of time before AI tools like ChatGPT start sending those in need of help to these telehealth sites to easily obtain prescribed medications.

If you are thinking of using ChatGPT or any other AI tool for mental health services, please search for a real therapist to talk to instead. A great place to start your search is Psychology Today or you can reach out to us directly on our website.