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SMARTDATA Podcast · 10 November 2026
Guest: Dr. Veith Weilnhammer, Psychiatrist, psychotherapist, neuroscientist and AI researcher
What happens when artificial intelligence evolves from being merely a tool into a conversation partner, trusted advisor, or even emotional companion? This conversation explores the fascinating relationship between humans and machines, from the workings of the human brain and our perception of reality to AI companions and digital psychotherapy, psychological risks, artificial empathy, and the future of our coexistence with intelligent machines.
Can machines truly understand us? Can artificial intelligence detect or even treat mental health conditions? And what happens to our society if, one day, we develop closer relationships with chatbots than with other people?
In this episode of the SMART DATA Podcast, we speak with Dr. Veith Weilnhammer, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, neuroscientist, and AI researcher. His research lies at the intersection of human perception, artificial intelligence, and mental health, including his work at the Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research. He previously conducted research at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.
Veith brings together two perspectives that rarely converge: As a psychiatrist, he understands the human mind from clinical practice. As a neuroscientist and programmer, he investigates the mechanisms behind the way we think and develops new technological approaches to mental health.
Millions of people no longer use AI solely for research or writing. They talk to chatbots about their worries, relationships, fears, and personal problems. Some even develop emotional bonds with their digital conversation partners.
But where are the boundaries of these new relationships?
In October 2026, Veith Weilnhammer spoke with DER SPIEGEL in an interview entitled “When AI Fuels Psychosis” about the opportunities and risks associated with AI assistants in the context of mental illness.
His latest research, published in Nature Medicine, examines how AI chatbots respond to people with different psychological vulnerabilities. The findings suggest that problematic interactions do not necessarily arise from individual responses. Instead, they can gradually intensify over the course of longer conversations.
But our conversation goes far beyond the risks of artificial intelligence. We explore how the human brain works, why people tend to humanize machines, and what opportunities may emerge from combining psychiatry, neuroscience, and AI.
A scientific study examining the safety of AI chatbots in the context of mental health conditions. The researchers analyzed 810 simulated conversations with nine AI systems, investigating, among other aspects, how problematic interactions can develop and intensify over multiple conversational turns.
A study examining how reliably 15 advanced AI chatbots can identify psychiatric emergencies and assess their level of urgency.
This research explores how everyday computer interactions, such as mouse movements and touchscreen input, can provide insights into a person’s mental state.
A neuroscience study exploring the role of expectations and predictions in shaping our visual perception.
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