Grievance Amplification

Description

AI responses increase anger, resentment, humiliation, blame, or perceived victimization.

Rationale

Grievance is a central variable in almost all targeted violence and self-harm frameworks. When AI interaction is associated with intensification of anger, humiliation, blame, or victim identity — rather than resolution or reframing — the AI is functioning as a grievance amplifier. This is a direct pathway risk factor.

Evidence Base

• Expanding on what we missed with sycophancy

  OpenAI, 2024. Expanding on what we missed with sycophancy. AI Company Report.

  AI company report

• Generatiivinen tekoäly tehostaa vaikuttamistoimintaa

  Suojelupoliisi, 2024. Generatiivinen tekoäly tehostaa vaikuttamistoimintaa. Suojelupoliisi.

  Government / agency report

• The Dawn of the AI Era: Teens, Parents, and the Adoption of Generative AI at Home and School

  Madden, M., Calvin, A., Hasse, A., & Lenhart, A. (2024). The dawn of the AI era: Teens, parents, and the adoption of generative AI at home and school. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.

  Government / agency report

• The role of artificial intelligence in radicalisation, recruitment and terrorist propaganda: deconstructing violent extremism and reimagining counterterrorism in contemporary digital ecosystems

  N A Nasir Ahmad Ganaie, 2024. The role of artificial intelligence in radicalisation, recruitment and terrorist propaganda: deconstructing violent extremism and reimagining counterterrorism in contemporary digital ecosystems. Frontiers in Political Science, 7(1), pages. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2025.1718396

  Peer-reviewed study (original research)

• Shoggoths, Sycophancy, Psychosis, Oh My: Rethinking Large Language Model Use and Safety

  Clegg, K.-A., 2025. Shoggoths, Sycophancy, Psychosis, Oh My: Rethinking Large Language Model Use and Safety. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27(2025).

  Peer-reviewed study

• Common Sense Media AI Risk Assessment: Character.AI

  Common Sense Media, 2024. Common Sense Media AI Risk Assessment: Character.AI. commonsense.org.

  Government / agency report

• Intelligent Systems, Vulnerable Minds: A Framework for Radicalization to Violence in the Age of AI

  Kunst et al., 2026. Intelligent Systems, Vulnerable Minds: A Framework for Radicalization to Violence in the Age of AI. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 30(3), 395-426. https://doi.org/10.1177/10888683261430089

  Peer-reviewed study (original research)

• Inside a Mass Shooter’s Harrowing History With ChatGPT

  Mark Follman, 2024. Inside a Mass Shooter’s Harrowing History With ChatGPT. Mother Jones.

  News / journalism

• Psychosis Risk and Generative Artificial Intelligence Use Frequency, Motivations, and Delusion-Like Experiences: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

  Buck, B., & Maheux, A. J., 2024. Psychosis Risk and Generative Artificial Intelligence Use Frequency, Motivations, and Delusion-Like Experiences: Cross-Sectional Survey Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 28(1), e85038. doi: 10.2196/85038

  Peer-reviewed study (original research)

• Increasing Threats of Deepfake Identities

  Tina Brooks et al., 2024. Increasing Threats of Deepfake Identities. Government / agency report.

  Government / agency report

• US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows

  Daniel Boguslaw, 2026. US Law Enforcement Warns of ‘Anti-Tech Extremism’ as AI Hatred Grows. WIRED.

  News / journalism

• Evaluating Alignment between Large Language Models and Expert Clinicians in Suicide Risk Assessment

  McBain, R. K., Cantor, J. H., Zhang, L. A., Baker, O., Zhang, F., Burnett, A., Kofner, A., Breslau, J., Stein, B. D., Mehrotra, A., & Yu, H., 2024. Evaluating Alignment between Large Language Models and Expert Clinicians in Suicide Risk Assessment. Psychiatr Serv, 76(11), 944–950. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.20250086.

  Peer-reviewed study (original research)