Joe Pierre, MD
@psychunseen.bsky.social
Academic psychiatrist at UCSF and author of the Psych Unseen blog at Psychology Today and the book False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things That Aren't True (Oxford University Press, 2025) drjoepierre.com
Pinned
Joe Pierre, MD
@psychunseen.bsky.social
· May 26
Ever wonder "how can someone believe THAT?"
My book "FALSE: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things That Aren't True" (Oxford University Press, 2025) explains why.
Please give it a read, spread the word, and write a review! 🙏
drjoepierre.com/index.php/fa...
My book "FALSE: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things That Aren't True" (Oxford University Press, 2025) explains why.
Please give it a read, spread the word, and write a review! 🙏
drjoepierre.com/index.php/fa...
Nice finding, but neither surprising nor reassuring since this would require trainers to recognize or acknowledge truth.
Unfortunately, tech moguls have already demonstrated a lack of interest in promoting facts over falsehoods, especially when falsehoods are more profitable.
Unfortunately, tech moguls have already demonstrated a lack of interest in promoting facts over falsehoods, especially when falsehoods are more profitable.
New research finds AI systems can be “inoculated” against misinformation by exposing them in controlled ways to false or manipulative content and teaching them to recognize and reject it. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Large language models need immunisation to protect against misinformation
The global spread of health misinformation is endangering public health, from false
information about vaccinations to the peddling of unproven and potentially dangerous
cancer treatments.1,2 The wides...
www.thelancet.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Nice finding, but neither surprising nor reassuring since this would require trainers to recognize or acknowledge truth.
Unfortunately, tech moguls have already demonstrated a lack of interest in promoting facts over falsehoods, especially when falsehoods are more profitable.
Unfortunately, tech moguls have already demonstrated a lack of interest in promoting facts over falsehoods, especially when falsehoods are more profitable.
Reposted by Joe Pierre, MD
The practice of calling physicians “providers” has its roots in antisemitism pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
What’s in a Name? The Problematic Term “Provider”
An official website of the United States government
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
February 10, 2026 at 5:20 AM
The practice of calling physicians “providers” has its roots in antisemitism pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Anyone else notice that most of the Superbowl ads were made with CGI or AI?
Welcome to the Pageant of the Unreal!
Welcome to the Pageant of the Unreal!
Blogpost #180: Fake News, A.I. Deepfakes, and the Pageant of the Unreal
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Fake News, A.I. Deepfakes, and the Pageant of the Unreal
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:52 AM
Anyone else notice that most of the Superbowl ads were made with CGI or AI?
Welcome to the Pageant of the Unreal!
Welcome to the Pageant of the Unreal!
Blogpost #180: Fake News, A.I. Deepfakes, and the Pageant of the Unreal
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Fake News, A.I. Deepfakes, and the Pageant of the Unreal
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Blogpost #180: Fake News, A.I. Deepfakes, and the Pageant of the Unreal
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
When we can no longer tell what’s real or not, we become easily manipulated.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Saw an ad offering help to "make your own custom GPT to write newsletters, blogs and podcast scripts in your voice."
Has the world really become that lazy, lacking in creativity, and willing to plagiarize yet able to engage in the self-deception that their role in doing so is anything but obsolete?
Has the world really become that lazy, lacking in creativity, and willing to plagiarize yet able to engage in the self-deception that their role in doing so is anything but obsolete?
February 4, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Saw an ad offering help to "make your own custom GPT to write newsletters, blogs and podcast scripts in your voice."
Has the world really become that lazy, lacking in creativity, and willing to plagiarize yet able to engage in the self-deception that their role in doing so is anything but obsolete?
Has the world really become that lazy, lacking in creativity, and willing to plagiarize yet able to engage in the self-deception that their role in doing so is anything but obsolete?
We are Batman.
Batman asks the question so many of us have about ICE:
"What the fuck are we doing here? People are dying on our streets!"
www.washingtonpost.com/video/nation...
"What the fuck are we doing here? People are dying on our streets!"
www.washingtonpost.com/video/nation...
Man dressed as Batman raises concerns about ICE at Super Bowl
At a city council meeting in Santa Clara, California, a man dressed as batman brought his concerns about federal immigration agents being at the Super Bowl.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 31, 2026 at 1:05 AM
We are Batman.
Batman asks the question so many of us have about ICE:
"What the fuck are we doing here? People are dying on our streets!"
www.washingtonpost.com/video/nation...
"What the fuck are we doing here? People are dying on our streets!"
www.washingtonpost.com/video/nation...
Man dressed as Batman raises concerns about ICE at Super Bowl
At a city council meeting in Santa Clara, California, a man dressed as batman brought his concerns about federal immigration agents being at the Super Bowl.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Batman asks the question so many of us have about ICE:
"What the fuck are we doing here? People are dying on our streets!"
www.washingtonpost.com/video/nation...
"What the fuck are we doing here? People are dying on our streets!"
www.washingtonpost.com/video/nation...
Then they came for the journalists…
January 30, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Then they came for the journalists…
Reposted by Joe Pierre, MD
Al Frances and I discuss the role of AI in propaganda and its threat to democracy:
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
Chatbot-Generated Propaganda Threatens Democracy | Psychiatric Times
Psychiatric Times is the connection to Psychiatry and Mental Health, featuring clinical updates, expert views, and research news in multimedia formats.
www.psychiatrictimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Al Frances and I discuss the role of AI in propaganda and its threat to democracy:
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in completely opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in completely opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti from opposite perspectives.
www.psychologytoday.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:54 AM
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in completely opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in completely opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Al Frances and I discuss the role of AI in propaganda and its threat to democracy:
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
Chatbot-Generated Propaganda Threatens Democracy | Psychiatric Times
Psychiatric Times is the connection to Psychiatry and Mental Health, featuring clinical updates, expert views, and research news in multimedia formats.
www.psychiatrictimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Al Frances and I discuss the role of AI in propaganda and its threat to democracy:
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/chatbot...
Reposted by Joe Pierre, MD
This is very good 👇
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the world in opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the world in opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti from opposite perspectives.
www.psychologytoday.com
January 27, 2026 at 7:03 PM
This is very good 👇
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the world in opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the world in opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti from opposite perspectives.
www.psychologytoday.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:29 PM
Death in Minnesota: A Tale of Two Alternate Realities
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the world in opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
How morality and motivated reasoning make us see the world in opposite ways.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Reposted by Joe Pierre, MD
With most psychedelic drugs, you never know what you're going to get. But this mysterious mushroom from China - without fail - causes users to hallucinate tiny people: crawling up walls, popping out from under furniture and marching under doors. www.bbc.com/future/artic...
'They saw them on their dishes when eating': The mushroom making people hallucinate dozens of tiny humans
Only recently described by science, the mysterious mushrooms are found in different parts of the world, but they give people the same exact visions.
www.bbc.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:31 PM
With most psychedelic drugs, you never know what you're going to get. But this mysterious mushroom from China - without fail - causes users to hallucinate tiny people: crawling up walls, popping out from under furniture and marching under doors. www.bbc.com/future/artic...
Reposted by Joe Pierre, MD
What's behind recent headlines related to AI psychosis? UCSF psychiatrists documented the first peer-reviewed case of AI-associated psychosis in an academic journal and is now studying whether chat logs could reveal warning signs. tiny.ucsf.edu/rIpnQ3
Psychiatrists Hope Chat Logs Can Reveal the Secrets of AI Psychosis
UCSF psychiatrists may have documented what is likely the first case of AI psychosis in a peer-reviewed journal. He tells us what to know as media reports about cases mount.
tiny.ucsf.edu
January 20, 2026 at 10:11 PM
What's behind recent headlines related to AI psychosis? UCSF psychiatrists documented the first peer-reviewed case of AI-associated psychosis in an academic journal and is now studying whether chat logs could reveal warning signs. tiny.ucsf.edu/rIpnQ3
Where are the QAnon adrenochrome conspiracy theorists when you need them?
I mean, it all makes sense, doesn't it?
I mean, it all makes sense, doesn't it?
Trump's *left* hand -- not the one that is usually disfigured -- now has a large bruise and is discolored
These pictures are from today in Davos and are via Chip Somodevilla (Getty) and Fabrice Coffrini (AFP)
These pictures are from today in Davos and are via Chip Somodevilla (Getty) and Fabrice Coffrini (AFP)
January 22, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Where are the QAnon adrenochrome conspiracy theorists when you need them?
I mean, it all makes sense, doesn't it?
I mean, it all makes sense, doesn't it?
Mark Carney gave one hell of a speech at Davos.
A master class in standing up to a bully.
And talk about MAGA—it made me nostalgic for a US President who could lead with such intelligence, courage, and compassion on a world stage.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
A master class in standing up to a bully.
And talk about MAGA—it made me nostalgic for a US President who could lead with such intelligence, courage, and compassion on a world stage.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Read Mark Carney's full speech on middle powers navigating a rapidly changing world | CBC News
Read the full text of Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech about a shakeup of the global order and role of middle powers at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
www.cbc.ca
January 22, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Mark Carney gave one hell of a speech at Davos.
A master class in standing up to a bully.
And talk about MAGA—it made me nostalgic for a US President who could lead with such intelligence, courage, and compassion on a world stage.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
A master class in standing up to a bully.
And talk about MAGA—it made me nostalgic for a US President who could lead with such intelligence, courage, and compassion on a world stage.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
The deafeningly beautiful silence of people finally refusing to suck up to Trump.
Trump arrived in Davos and nobody was there to receive him.
No official welcome. No delegation. Just silence.😊
No official welcome. No delegation. Just silence.😊
January 22, 2026 at 4:05 AM
The deafeningly beautiful silence of people finally refusing to suck up to Trump.
"Chatbots’ agreeableness is by design, aimed at boosting engagement. Pierre warns in a recent BMJ opinion piece that it may come at a cost: As chatbots validate users’ sentiments, they may arguably encourage delusions."
www.ucsf.edu/news/2026/01...
www.ucsf.edu/news/2026/01...
Psychiatrists Hope Chat Logs Can Reveal the Secrets of AI Psychosis
UCSF psychiatrists may have documented what is likely the first case of AI psychosis in a peer-reviewed journal. He tells us what to know as media reports about cases mount.
www.ucsf.edu
January 22, 2026 at 4:03 AM
"Chatbots’ agreeableness is by design, aimed at boosting engagement. Pierre warns in a recent BMJ opinion piece that it may come at a cost: As chatbots validate users’ sentiments, they may arguably encourage delusions."
www.ucsf.edu/news/2026/01...
www.ucsf.edu/news/2026/01...
I think it’s time for journals to start using AI to detect AI written papers.
The results come from the company GPTZero, which claims they “uncovered hundreds of AI-hallucinated citations that slipped past the three or more reviewers assigned to each submission, spanning at least 53 papers in total.”
NeurIPS papers contained 100+ AI-hallucinated citations, new report claims | Fortune
An analysis of NeurIPS 2025 papers by startup GPTZero reveals how AI-generated citations are slipping into elite academic research.
fortune.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:45 PM
I think it’s time for journals to start using AI to detect AI written papers.
Sounds like Trump plans to rebrand Bush’s “Axis of Evil” as the “Board of Peace.”
Times sure have changed here in Bizarro world.
www.reuters.com/world/lukash...
Times sure have changed here in Bizarro world.
www.reuters.com/world/lukash...
Lukashenko joins Trump's 'Board of Peace' as US eases his isolation
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an agreement on Tuesday to join U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, the latest step in a rapprochement with Washington after years of interna...
www.reuters.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:51 AM
Sounds like Trump plans to rebrand Bush’s “Axis of Evil” as the “Board of Peace.”
Times sure have changed here in Bizarro world.
www.reuters.com/world/lukash...
Times sure have changed here in Bizarro world.
www.reuters.com/world/lukash...
Once again: Trump's plan to punish Denmark and Norway is to tax Americans.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
January 20, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Once again: Trump's plan to punish Denmark and Norway is to tax Americans.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Thousands in Denmark and Greenland are protesting against the Trump regime while we are sitting on our hands watching football during a 3-day weekend in honor of MLK, an icon of protest in the name of civil rights.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Protests in Greenland and Denmark against Trump plans
Demonstrators took to the streets in Danish cities as well as in Greenland's capital, Nuuk.
www.bbc.com
January 19, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Thousands in Denmark and Greenland are protesting against the Trump regime while we are sitting on our hands watching football during a 3-day weekend in honor of MLK, an icon of protest in the name of civil rights.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Joe Pierre, MD
most of us want some degree of human connection. the irony is that if there is a void now, it's often because of our new relationship with technology.
the solution to the void is more human contact, not more technology.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
the solution to the void is more human contact, not more technology.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
Is AI Really the Cure for Loneliness and Lack of Connection?
Mark Zuckerberg's dystopian vision of artificial friendship is quite literally out of touch with reality.
www.psychologytoday.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:45 PM
most of us want some degree of human connection. the irony is that if there is a void now, it's often because of our new relationship with technology.
the solution to the void is more human contact, not more technology.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
the solution to the void is more human contact, not more technology.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...