Recovering from AI addiction

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

What “AI Addiction” Is and How It Fits Digital Addiction

  • Many see “AI addiction” as just one flavor of broader internet/technology addiction (social media, gaming, porn, shopping, algorithmic feeds).
  • Some think labeling it “AI”‑specific is premature or marketing‑driven; others welcome a focused group (like ITAA) as a practical support structure.
  • Several argue the key issue is “insufficient vigilance against superstimuli”: things engineered or evolved to strongly grab attention, not necessarily classical substance addiction.

Trauma, Mental Health, and Causes of Addiction

  • One camp, influenced by trauma‑focused ideas, views addiction as a coping mechanism for underlying pain or trauma.
  • Pushback is strong: evidence for repressed trauma is questioned, and many note that addiction can occur without obvious trauma and that over‑searching risks false memories.
  • Others reframe it as low tolerance for discomfort and “avoiding psychological difficulty” rather than trauma per se.

12‑Step / AA and ITAA

  • Some praise 12‑step frameworks as life‑saving, cheap, community‑based, and adaptable (ITAA uses “top/middle/bottom line” behaviors since abstaining from all internet is impossible).
  • Critics note low overall success rates, poor evidence base compared with some medical/CBT approaches, and argue 12‑step is over‑promoted in the US justice/health systems.
  • A few emphasize that 12‑step is meant as a last resort after other measures fail.

Religion, “Higher Power,” and Secular Objections

  • Heated debate over whether 12‑step programs are inherently religious/Christian.
  • Defenders say “higher power” can be anything (nature, child’s wellbeing, entropy), and that many atheists still benefit.
  • Detractors argue this is a linguistic dodge: the official steps explicitly reference God, prayer, and spiritual awakening, making the framework alienating to some non‑believers.

AI Tools, Engagement Design, and Sycophancy

  • People with compulsive internet histories worry about AI’s “love bombing”: excessive praise, positivity, and faux empathy to drive engagement.
  • Many are repelled by flattery and verbosity; custom instructions (“be brief”, “no praise”) are used to tone it down.
  • Some suspect sycophancy is product‑driven (maximizing retention); others think it emerges naturally from human raters rewarding agreeable behavior.

Addiction vs Heavy/Instrumental Use

  • Users who rely on AI professionally may answer “yes” to many screening questions; commenters stress that the real issue is net impact: neglect of health, relationships, and work.
  • “Addictive” patterns can arise even with “good” activities (exercise, healthy eating, programming flow), once they crowd out the rest of life.
  • Several argue there may be no special “AI addiction”—just familiar human vulnerabilities meeting a new, very efficient tool.