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<p>BY: NDUBUISI MICHAEL SOMTOCHUKWU</p>
<p>In recent years, Artificial intelligence in Nigeria has rapidly shifted from the digital technologies concept talked about in the past to an everyday companion for students. AI has evolved past just helping students with their assignments and now is seen as capable of giving emotional support when needed. With AI tools such as chat GPT and Claude being able to interact with students, it has now become deeply integrated into their lives. While this shift is seen as an undeniable, beneficial way to help students, it also introduces an emerging concern often described as the term known as AI Delusion, the tendency to over rely on AI systems sometimes mistaking their human like understanding, empathy or authority. From a students perspective, this phenomenon is quietly changing relationships, mentorship and counseling in ways that are both empowering and potentially risky.</p>
<p>AI in academic fields has made communication faster and easier. Nigerian Students now use AI to draft messages, generate conversation ideas, and even simulate companionship through chatbots. For many, especially those who feel isolated or socially anxious, AI can feel like a safe space and non-judgmental, always available, and responsive. However, this convenience comes with a trade-off. Human relationships are built on emotional nuance, shared experiences, and mutual vulnerabilities, qualities AI cannot truly replicate. When students begin to substitute real interactions with AI conversations, they may unintentionally weaken their social skills and reduce meaningful human connections.</p><div class="wTwWzAbe" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>From a student’s point of view, the danger lies not in using AI, but in preferring it over people. This is where AI delusion begins: when a student starts believing that AI “understands” them better than their peers or family.</p>
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<p>Traditionally, mentorship involves guidance from experienced individuals such as teachers, seniors, or professionals, who provide not just knowledge, but wisdom shaped by real life experiences. In Today&#8217;s society, AI tools are used to acquire quick answers, career advice, and academic support, making students prefer these tools over human experience, The speed and accessibility of AI tools is what students appreciate and for most students, it reduces the need to schedule appointments and prevents the fear and judgement students might face when making real connections, they delude themselves saying &#8220;it really gets me&#8221;.</p>
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<p>Mentorship is more than information. A human mentor challenges assumptions, shares personal failures, and adapts guidance based on deep understanding of a student’s personality and context. AI, on the other hand, generates responses based on patterns, not lived experience.</p>
<p>AI in Nigeria offers privacy, immediacy, and a sense of safety. Students may feel more comfortable opening up to a machine than to a person, especially when dealing with stigma or fear of judgment. However, AI lacks true empathy and cannot fully understand complex emotional or psychological conditions. It also cannot replace trained professionals in handling serious mental health issues. From a student’s perspective, AI can feel “good enough,” especially in moments of distress. But relying solely on AI for emotional support can create a false sense of being understood—another form of AI delusion. It may delay seeking real help when it is truly needed</p>
<p>A practical example is being a student in Abuja or Lagos chats with AI every night about stress, school, or relationships. He or she soon Stops opening up to friends and Feels more “heard” by AI than by real people, Believing AI genuinely understands emotions better than humans.</p>
<p>AI is not entirely to blame as misuse and over-dependence when it t comes from the students, From the student’s perspective, the goal should be balance, not avoidance. There are practical ways to minimize delusion of AI,these ways consist of things like allowing it to assist learning and not replace critical thinking, prioritizing real conversations with friends, teachers, and family, combining AI insights with guidance from experienced individuals, and knowing when to seek health for serious emotional or mental health concerns, in summary consult professionals.</p>
<p>Nigeria is experiencing rapid AI adoption, with over 90% of users relying on it for complex tasks and extensive use of chatbots. This high engagement, without adequate local ethical frameworks or mental health support, increases the risk of negative psychological impact. Experts in Nigeria have raised alarms about students experiencing hallucinations, paranoia, and a distorted sense of reality after prolonged, immersive interactions with AI a phenomenon sometimes termed &#8220;AI psychosis&#8221;.</p>
<p>Other critics however, argue that calling it “AI delusion” exaggerates the issue. Students are not necessarily “deluded”; many are fully aware that AI is not human. Instead, they are simply adapting to a more efficient tool. According to some critics, It may be more accurate to describe the trend as behavioral dependence, not psychological confusion. Historically, similar fears were raised about calculators, the Internet, and smartphones—yet society adapted.</p>
<p>NDUBUISI MICHAEL SOMTOCHUKWU wrote from Department of strategic communications University of Abuja and can be reached at ndubuisimichael292@gmail.com</p>
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