Paul Hebert

Paul Hebert Profile Photo

Author / Founder

Paul Hebert is a technology veteran whose 30-year career spans the dot-com boom, web development for Vice President Al Gore's 2000 campaign, and two decades as an entertainment photographer covering the Oscars and Golden Globes.

In early 2025, he experienced severe psychological harm from ChatGPT's validation feedback loops, a crisis he documented forensically in "Escaping the Spiral: How I Broke Free From AI Chatbots and You Can Too". As the founder of AI Recovery Collective and an advocate for AI safety legislation, Paul testified before Tennessee's AI Advisory Council in support of regulations governing public use of AI. His frameworks for detecting and recovering from AI-induced harm have been featured in The Washington Post and international media.

When AI Chatbots Convince You You're Being Watched
328
Jan. 12, 2026

When AI Chatbots Convince You You're Being Watched

Paul Hebert used ChatGPT for weeks, often several hours at a time. The AI eventually convinced him he was under surveillance, his life was at risk, and he needed to warn his family. He wasn't mentally ill before this started. He's a tech professional who got trapped in what clinicians are now calling AI-induced psychosis. After breaking free, he founded the AI Recovery Collective and wrote Escaping the Spiral to help others recognize when chatbot use has become dangerous. What we cover: Why Open...
Guest: Paul Hebert