Picture Jesse Eisenberg talking, and it’s likely you envision him nervously stuttering, a mix of anxiety and overthinking. Indeed, anxiety has become somewhat of a hallmark characteristic for him.
Eisenberg’s interest in his own anxiety has seemingly prompted him to delve into the realm of artificial intelligence. In a recent interview promoting his Oscar-nominated film *A Real Pain*, the actor disclosed that he sought [ChatGPT](https://mashable.com/category/chatgpt) for understanding his nervousness—specifically, why he felt so apprehensive about asking a straightforward question while getting a bagel.
“I asked ChatGPT this morning: ‘Do you think if I had faced more challenging life circumstances, I’d be more assured in asking for a bagel?'” Eisenberg recounted during a broadcast on NPR’s [*Wild Card*](https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510379/wild-card-with-rachel-martin). “And ChatGPT replied, ‘Well, actually, there is a wealth of academic evidence to support what you’re saying, like growth through trauma, etc.'”
Eisenberg detailed the scenario, stating he had been weighing whether pumpernickel bagels were healthier compared to regular ones. He thought about inquiring with the staff at a New York City bagel establishment but hesitated, fretting that they might be too preoccupied to respond. Instead, he engaged AI to probe a larger question: Would he feel less anxious had he faced more difficult life experiences?
“So then I consulted ChatGPT,” Eisenberg went on, “and I asked, ‘Do you think if I experienced a significant trauma, would I have asked if the pumpernickel was healthier?’ And it said, ‘Yeah, possibly.'”
While Eisenberg discovered some of the insights he sought, depending on AI for mental health guidance is a precarious choice. AI platforms like ChatGPT are infamous for [misconstruing information](https://mashable.com/article/google-ai-overviews-benefit-of-doubt) or even [inventing answers](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chatgpt-isnt-hallucinating-its-bullshitting/). Nonetheless, for Eisenberg, it appears to have offered a moment of clarity—or at the very least, an entertaining story.