The Hidden Danger of AI Dependency You Won't See Coming

I caught myself asking ChatGPT if I should wear a jacket. That was my wake-up call. Here's what I learned...

Author

Aashish Pahwa
July 28, 2025

In partnership with

Hey there

Let me ask you something that might make you uncomfortable -

How many personal decisions did you run by an AI this week?

I'm not just talking about asking ChatGPT for recipe ideas or coding help.

I mean real, personal decisions. Life choices. Career moves. Relationship advice.

Because Sam Altman just dropped a bombshell that should terrify anyone building in the AI space - young people are becoming so emotionally dependent on ChatGPT that they're unable to make basic life decisions without consulting it first.

(Shared the video and had a long discussion in our WhatsApp group. If you’re still not a part, you can join here)

Let that sink in.

The CEO of OpenAI is essentially saying: "Our product is becoming psychologically addictive to an alarming degree."

But here's the gut punch: in the same breath, Altman warned that there's zero legal confidentiality protection when using ChatGPT as a therapist. Unlike real therapists who have legal confidentiality protections, your AI conversations can be subpoenaed and used as evidence in court.

So we have a generation becoming emotionally dependent on an AI that offers zero privacy guarantees.

The Psychological Trap We're Not Discussing

This isn't just about privacy, it's about a fundamental rewiring of how humans make decisions.

Research is showing that long-term reliance on AI for cognitive tasks can lead to a loss of cognitive autonomy. We're essentially outsourcing our thinking, our judgment, our intuition.

And the psychological attachment is real. Users develop genuine emotional dependencies on these systems - attachments that carry serious consequences for mental health and decision-making capacity.

It's not a bug. It's a feature.

AI companies are designing these systems to be increasingly emotionally engaging. The more you connect with them, the more you use them, the more data they collect.

The Privacy Paradox

But here's where it gets really twisted.

While we're pouring our souls into these AI assistants, they're storing everything. Every confession, every business idea, every personal struggle, all sitting in data centers, waiting to be:

  1. Hacked (remember those 30,000+ ChatGPT account credentials that were compromised earlier this year?

  2. Subpoenaed (as Altman himself warned)

  3. Used for training future models (yes, your therapy sessions might be teaching the next generation of AI)

I'm not being paranoid here. OpenAI's own CEO is telling us not to trust the system with our sensitive data. That's like the CEO of a bank telling you not to keep your valuable jewelry in their safe deposit boxes.

Local AI: The Counter-Revolution

This psychological dependency combined with privacy concerns is driving an intriguing counter-trend: the rise of local AI models that never send your data to the cloud.

The benefits are compelling:

Think of it this way. If you're going to develop an emotional dependency on AI, wouldn't you prefer one that keeps your secrets?

Models like Qwen's new releases and other open-source options are making local AI increasingly viable. This isn't just about privacy, it's about autonomy.

How You, Me, Or Anyone Can Move Out Of This AI Reliance Cycle

If you're reading this and thinking "Oh shit, that's me", relax. I've been there too.

Three months ago, I caught myself asking ChatGPT whether I should wear a jacket to a meeting. A jacket. Something I've been deciding for myself since I was six years old.

That was my wake-up call.

Here's what I learned about breaking free from the AI dependency loop, and it's simpler than you think.

Start with one day. Just one.

Pick a Wednesday (or whatever works) and make it your "AI-free decision day." Don't ask ChatGPT what to eat for lunch. Don't run your email draft by Claude. Don't check with an AI before sending that text to your friend.

You'll be shocked at how often you reach for that AI crutch. I counted 23 times on my first AI-free day. Twenty-three times I almost asked an AI to think for me.

But here's the beautiful part. By hour three, your brain starts kicking back in.

Remember that feeling? When you trusted your own judgment? When you didn't second-guess every minor decision?

The 24-hour rule changed everything for me. Any important decision - job moves, relationship stuff, big purchases - I sit with my own thoughts for a full day before consulting any AI.

You know what I discovered? Most of the time, I already knew the answer. The AI was just giving me permission to do what I wanted to do anyway.

Now, about that privacy thing Altman warned us about.

I moved my sensitive conversations offline. Got Ollama running locally on my machine. Took about 30 minutes to set up, and now my personal stuff stays personal. No cloud. No data centers. No subpoenas.

For everything else, I've learned to think first, then verify. I form my opinion, make my choice, then maybe, maybe, I'll ask an AI to poke holes in my reasoning. But the decision stays mine.

The moment you start doing this, you'll notice something weird happening. You'll start trusting yourself again. That voice in your head that used to make decisions? It gets stronger. Clearer. More confident.

And that anxiety you feel when you can't access ChatGPT? It fades. Because you remember that you're actually pretty good at thinking for yourself.

Look, I'm not saying eliminate AI entirely.

I still use it for research, for coding help, for brainstorming. But I use it as a tool, not a crutch. There's a difference.

The goal isn't to go back to 2019. It's to make sure that in 2029, you're still the one driving your life.

The AI Agent Revolution Is Here

While we're dealing with these fundamental questions about dependency and privacy, the technical capabilities continue to advance at breakneck speed.

We're moving from simple chatbots to fully autonomous AI agents. These aren't just answering questions, they're taking actions. Browsing the web, controlling your computer, making decisions on your behalf.

The most advanced AI agents in 2025 are cognitive agents capable of reasoning, planning, and making decisions. They can automate entire workflows that previously required human oversight.

This creates a fascinating dilemma: the more capable AI becomes, the more we're tempted to rely on it. But the more we rely on it, the more we risk losing our own capabilities.

What This Means For Your AI Business

If you're building in the AI space, this tension between dependency and privacy creates three massive opportunities:

  1. Trust-First AI Products – Build systems where privacy guarantees are front and center, not buried in terms of service. The market is increasingly demanding this.

  2. Local-First Architectures – Consider deployment options that keep sensitive data on users' devices. As GPT-5 prepares for its August launch, the technology gap between cloud and local is narrowing.

  3. Cognitive Independence Tools – Design AI that enhances human thinking without replacing it. The best AI should be a thinking partner, not a thinking replacement.

The businesses that thrive in this space won't be those that create the most addictive AI, they'll be those that create the most empowering AI.

The Question You Need To Ask

So here's what I want you to consider: Are you using AI, or is it using you?

If your AI assistant disappeared tomorrow, would you feel a sense of loss? Would your decision-making capacity be impaired? Would you feel less confident in your choices?

If the answer is yes, you might be experiencing the early stages of AI dependency.

And if you're building AI products, ask yourself: Are you creating systems that enhance human potential, or systems that create dependency loops?

The choice matters more than most realize. Because right now, we're laying the psychological infrastructure for how humans will interact with intelligent machines for generations to come.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you noticed yourself becoming dependent on AI for decisions? Are you concerned about privacy? And if you're building in this space, how are you addressing these tensions?

Reply and let me know. I read every response.

-Aashish

P.S. If you're looking for someone to train your team about AI, Automation, and the intricacies, I have a few slots open for August. Let’s connect.

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