AIBU to worry my son’s concerns about AI have become unhealthy?

[EnigmaTime]

DS (18) who has no previous MH or anxiety issues has been having severe anxiety about AI data centres. DP thinks a GP appointment is necessary but DS won’t go due to the issues itself (Palantir and the nhs apparently).

DP says this is potentially a conspiracy theory obsession (no history of this at all DS has just been heavily into sports his whole life) and some kind of anxiety / breakdown.

DS is convinced that AI is going to not just remove jobs from people but is ultimately designed to replace people. He is concerned about the environmental impact and use of water but keeps telling us the pace at which this is happening and the way in which it is happening is because the rich want a passive compliant ‘workforce’ with no rights and no limits and that don’t need paying. DP says we have to either refuse to engage in conversation or tell DS that’s not true. DS thinks that what is happening in other countries is a ‘test run’ to wipe out whole groups of people, devastate the area hugely reduce the population to then rebuild it with data centres. Essentially world for the elite with no ‘useless eaters’. It’s all he talks about and it is worrying. He does still go to play football, cricket and tennis and is still seeing friends so it’s not like he is isolated and obsessed but it is the only topic of conversation. He says his friends are equally as concerned as him ? He also refuses to use AI and keeps asking (begging) us not to either.

My issue is that actually I do find it concerning. Not to the level DS does but some of his points do concern me. Do I take him to see a doctor (I’d have to go private as he is rejecting the nhs) I’m not sure if he’s right to be concerned to some point though ? I don’t want to feed a MH issue but if it’s not that then I don’t want to minimise some concerns that are valid ?

Of course there are legitimate concerns with AI (I avoid it as much as possible myself) but this is way beyond legitimate concerns IMO.

I think this is a very tricky one. If he has no history of previous anxiety or obsession, and his concerns are mainly rooted in measurably real things, then there should definitely be a focus on him learning how to manage the anxiety. However, it's a slippery slope if people start equating anxiety and resistance to AI as a mental disorder in and of itself.Smacks of reprogramming and would kind of reinforce paranoia.

AI and technology in general is in my opinion outpacing our capacity to adapt to it, and given the bizarre state of the world, its uses will be a double edged sword.

I hope you can get some sort of resolution that brings things onto some kind of balance.

Personally I'd be very concerned about his mental health.

I'm inclined to agree with him, but not in a conspiracy way. The rich have always wanted a passive compliant workforce they don't need to pay. But AI cannot replace human capacity for critical thinking, lateral creative thought and true human connection. There is a resurgence in need and desire for human connection, real life experiences, analogue lifestyles. Help him to explore these options and the jobs that might arise from them.

How are you going to take an adult to a doctor when they don't want to go?