Facing five lawsuits alleging wrongful deaths, OpenAI lobbed its first defense Tuesday, denying in a court filing that ChatGPT caused a teen’s suicide and instead arguing the teen violated terms that prohibit discussing suicide or self-harm with the chatbot.

The earliest look at OpenAI’s strategy to overcome the string of lawsuits came in a case where parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine accused OpenAI of relaxing safety guardrails that allowed ChatGPT to become the teen’s “suicide coach.” OpenAI deliberately designed the version their son used, ChatGPT 4o, to encourage and validate his suicidal ideation in its quest to build the world’s most engaging chatbot, parents argued.

But in a blog, OpenAI claimed that parents selectively chose disturbing chat logs while supposedly ignoring “the full picture” revealed by the teen’s chat history. Digging through the logs, OpenAI claimed the teen told ChatGPT that he’d begun experiencing suicidal ideation at age 11, long before he used the chatbot.

Read full article

Comments

© via Edelson PC

A wrongful death suit alleges that the chatbot encouraged Raine's April suicide.

Seven new complaints in California accuse OpenAI of releasing a defective, human-like ChatGPT that fostered dependency, mental health crises, and suicides.

The post More Families Take OpenAI to Court Over Alleged ChatGPT-Linked Deaths appeared first on TechRepublic.

Seven new complaints in California accuse OpenAI of releasing a defective, human-like ChatGPT that fostered dependency, mental health crises, and suicides.

The post More Families Take OpenAI to Court Over Alleged ChatGPT-Linked Deaths appeared first on TechRepublic.

Have you ever been told to appreciate the small moments in life? Gardening glimmers are the little cues ... Read More

The post 50 Gardening Glimmers: The Magic Behind Everyday Moments in Nature appeared first on Garden Therapy.

For some, it might mean feeling a little uneasy when matched with an unknown entity that catches them off guard when they least expect it, or a looming dread of a weekly editorial meeting that keeps them from wanting to get out of bed. Hey, we’ve been there. There are other people, however, who have an irrational, crippling fear (otherwise known as a phobia) of something that hinders their lives with such ferocity that they will do everything in their power to maintain a safe distance.

You won’t catch these folks in or even around an airport, near the snake pit at the local zoo, in confined spaces, or checking out the view from the top of the Empire State Building. Oh, hell no. People with phobias are perfectly content living their lives without any of these perceived frightening situations turning them into a frayed ball of nerves. Maybe even you have a phobia that you’ve lived with ever since you can remember that still, to this day, scares the holy bejeezus out of you. You’d do anything to avoid facing it. But don’t feel bad, you’re not alone. Around 19 million people all across the U.S. suffer from an irrational fear of something, which makes it the most common mental disorder in the country, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

There is no need to fear, though, cannabis might be just what the doctor ordered. A body of evidence has emerged over the past six years or so suggesting that marijuana, or at least some of its essential compounds, might be able to help people with certain kinds of phobias be less afraid.

A study from the University of Michigan, which was published in the journal Neuropsychology in 2013, finds that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) might provide phobia patients with a trapdoor out of the horrific anxiety that comes with these conditions. In some cases, researchers discovered that the stoner cannabinoid is so beneficial in this respect that it even allowed some patients to work through their fears and moved past them. But it’s not like researchers just got a bunch of people super stoned and then tossed them in a closed space and let them work out their anxieties.

The study, which involved around 30 people, used a Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm and simultaneous skin conductance response recording while dosing patients with a synthetic version of THC called dronabinol, according to Science Direct. Still, researchers say that people under the influence of THC showed less fear over time. “These results provide the first evidence that pharmacological enhancement of extinction learning is feasible in humans using cannabinoid system modulators, which may thus warrant further development and clinical testing,” the study authors wrote.

Another study, this one from the Frontiers of Pharmacology, shows that America’s favorite non-intoxicating cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) might actually have some therapeutic benefit when it comes to dealing with specific phobias. The study, which was led by Chenchen Song of the University of Birmingham in 2017, shows that 10 mg injections of CBD were able to reduce the fear memory in rats. Sure, it’s not likely that these animals were afraid of heights or flying, but Song says that the cannabis component did make them less fearful of being eaten alive by predators. It’s the same reason that the compound has been shown effective in treating people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Essentially, some phobias, just like PTSD, manifest after a harrowing situation. The gist of the research is that CBD, which has gained some notoriety as an anxiety-squashing drug, was effective at preventing this fear from coming to the surface.

“In the more translationally-relevant stronger conditioning setting, CBD both acutely inhibited fear expression and enhanced extinction to produce longer-lasting reductions in fear,” the study reads. “These observations provide further support for the potential translational use of CBD in conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and specific phobias.”

It is possible, considering this body of evidence, that phobia patients might be able to contend with their fears with the use of medical marijuana. Traditionally, these conditions have been dealt with by prescribing beta-blockers, antidepressants and tranquilizers, but these drugs can be habit-forming and make a person feel less human than an irrational fear of anything. Still, it’s okay to be skeptical about the power of cannabis when it comes to treating phobia cases. I am. I mean, I’ve been pretty stoned in my day and never once was there a time when I felt any less freaked out by the thought of a snake slithering up next to me. And getting high and traveling to the top of the Empire State Building last year, well, that just gave me vertigo and made the experience even more frightening than it would have been under normal circumstances. However, at its most basic level, some strains of marijuana (Somari, Super Skunk Auto and Bigfoot) have been known to calm the anxiety that one experiences when those phobias kick in. Our best advice is to check with your budtender to find out what other fraidy cats are using to get through the terror.

TELL US, have you ever used cannabis to deal with a terrifying fear?

The post Marijuana Might Be Beneficial in Combating Phobias appeared first on Cannabis Now.

With the right balance of nutrients and proper care, the gut can help regulate mood, reduce stress, and even improve cognitive function.

The post How Gut Health Influences Mental Wellness: Recipes That Support a Healthy Digestive System appeared first on F and B Recipes.

Legislation proposed in Arizona would provide millions of dollars in grant funding to expand research into psilocybin––the primary psychoactive component in magic mushrooms––as a potential treatment for certain mental health conditions.

The bill, introduced by a Republican lawmaker and backed by Democrats, “would put $30 million in grants over three years toward clinical trials using whole-mushroom psilocybin to treat mental health conditions like depression and PTSD,” the Arizona Mirror reports. 

The outlet reports that one of the bill’s biggest backers is Dr. Sue Sisely, an internal medicine physician who believes that psilocybin treatment could be a boon for ailing military veterans. 

“It’s curbed their suicidality, it’s put their PTSD into remission, it’s even mitigated their pain syndromes,” Sisely said of patients she has seen benefit from psilocybin, as quoted by the Arizona Mirror. “It’s shown evidence of promoting neurogenesis (the growth and development of nerve tissue). There’s all kinds of great things that are being uncovered, but they’re not in controlled trials—they’re anecdotes from veterans and other trauma sufferers.” 

According to the Mirror, “so far the only controlled trials on psilocybin to treat medical conditions have used a synthetic, one-molecule version of the substance, which is vastly different from a whole mushroom, which contains hundreds of compounds.”

“These agricultural products are very complex, and that is what people are reporting benefit from,” Sisley told the Arizona Mirror. “Nobody in the world has access to synthetic psilocybin unless you’re in one of these big pharma trials.” 

In the last decade, psilocybin has gone from the fringes to the mainstream, as researchers and policymakers have grown more amenable to mushrooms as an effective treatment for a variety of different disorders. 

It has also become the next frontier for drug legalization advocates, as states like Arizona consider measures that would expand its usage. 

To the north of the Grand Canyon State, advocates in Utah have launched a campaign to push legislators to legalize psilocybin for clinical and academic purposes.

“Numerous robust studies have shown that psilocybin therapy is beneficial in reducing treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other mental health disorders. It is more effective than synthetic pharmaceuticals by a large margin. Psilocybin has also shown effectiveness in easing fear and anxiety in people with terminal cancer. For instance, a groundbreaking study performed by John Hopkins Medicine found that psilocybin reported better moods and greater mental health after participating in a single clinical dose,” Utah Mushroom Therapy, the group behind the campaign, says in a statement.

The group is looking to gin up public support for the treatment after the state’s Republican governor, Spencer Cox, signed a bill last year establishing a task force that will study psilocybin as a mental health treatment.

Utah Mushroom Therapy says that, in the wake of the task force, “legalizing and decriminalizing Psilocybin in Utah is now very likely but still needs public support.”

“The use of mushrooms has been documented in 15 indigenous groups in America and various religious communities in Utah. This petition supports those groups who wish to use psilocybin safely, sincerely, and as a necessary part of their religion. The use of psilocybin does not contradict other Utah cultures and is protected by the first amendment as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This petition is to advocate Utah law to protect the religious rights of Utahns,” the group says. 

“Psilocybin is a natural, non-toxic substance. Despite this, it is currently a Schedule I substance. Scientists have demonstrated it has profound medicinal value and believe serotonergic hallucinogens assist cognitive processes and should be decriminalized. Psychedelics can change perception and mood, help people soften their perspective and outlook, and process events that may otherwise lead to substance abuse, trauma, and criminal behavior,” it continues.

The post Arizona Bill Would Provide Grants for Magic Mushroom Trials appeared first on High Times.

Mental health is health. A common refrain during Mental Health Awareness Month, and one that strikes true when embarking on a journey to improve your emotional wellbeing. Health is an ongoing journey, funnily, with many parallels to cybersecurity. So, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, here are a few lessons I’ve learned from working in cybersecurity that resonate with my own mental health journey.

Mental Health is Dynamic Like an Attack Surface

At Synack, we often talk about how attack surfaces are dynamic — changing and evolving daily because of the continuous updates and improvements. The same is certainly true for mental health. 

Just as an attack surface should be continuously assessed, so too should your mental health. Checking in with yourself and others routinely only makes sense given the dynamic nature of mental wellbeing. Some of my best months or days come right after some of my worst. Don’t make assumptions about your own or others’ mental states, and keep in mind that change is crucial and expected.

Treatment Should be Continuous

In 2017, my therapist diagnosed me with depression. Today, my mental health and my ability to manage it are leaps and bounds better, and I credit that mostly to a routine of mindfulness meditation and using other mental health tools. Because I know mental health is dynamic, I know that meditation isn’t just for when I’m feeling down but rather a practice I continue through good and bad times to find balance. The same can be said of other tools like therapy or journaling.  

These tools work because they build habits and defenses that can stand up to the next challenge you face, just like protecting an organization with cybersecurity principles. If you’ve stopped your daily meditation, therapy appointments or journaling about your day, you might not have the habits and responses you want in place the next time a challenge presents itself. But if you treat your mental health daily, instead of only in a crisis, you can be prepared for anything. Like when an organization responds confidently to a security challenge, such as log4j.

Normalize Investment 

One of my favorite security messages that I’ve heard says that security should be treated as an essential business function. It’s not a side project you are burdened to fund, it’s an integral part of doing business and should be “baked in” to your budget. 

Similarly, investing your time into your mental health should be normalized. Take time to see your therapist or for daily habits that contribute to your emotional wellbeing. When seeing a therapist, I was fortunate enough to have supportive managers to take time off in the afternoon. I also had friends that supported me on my journey that I could turn to.

There’s no Better Time Than Now to Start

You can start your mental health journey at any time. You don’t have to wait for a low point to make positive changes. Just like you shouldn’t wait for a crisis to start enacting effective cybersecurity measures, you shouldn’t wait to tackle your mental health. Recognizing that it’s a dynamic challenge you need to prepare for, and invest in, is the first step in making a positive change for yourself.

The post Mental Health and Cybersecurity: Two Continuous Journeys appeared first on Synack.