Many of you must be dealing with an Algorithmaphobicaideliratist, right? Dealing with AI resistance? Just look around… They are all around you.

Algorithmaphobicaideliratist — (algorithma-phobic-AI-deleratist)

This is a new hard-science behavioral descriptive term describing a person who experiences persistent, exaggerated suspicion, anxiety, or irrational fear about artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems such as LLMs. You read it here first — it is not yet in the medical literature.

This individual is convinced that algorithms are deceptive, manipulative, and pose hidden threats to individuals and society, that they are programmed by Big Pharma and the CIA. Their apprehension often extends beyond practical concerns to include cultural, governmental, existential, and ethical anxieties.

The roots of this mindset can be traced to several overlapping psychological and societal factors:

• Algorithmophobia: A fear of algorithms and AI, which can range from worries about job loss and bias to more dramatic concerns about sentient machines taking over and depopulating the world.
• Technophobia/Luddite Tendencies: Resistance to or skepticism of technological change, often fueled by historical anxieties about obsolescence and loss of identity.
• Delirium/Delusions: In this context, refers to the irrational or exaggerated quality of the fear, sometimes paranoia, where concerns persist despite evidence of AI’s benefits or human oversight.

Key Characteristics of an Algorithmaphobicaideliratist

• Persistent Mistrust: Continual suspicion that AI is inherently biased, uncontrollable, or dangerous, even when safeguards and human oversight are in place.
• Cultural and Emotional Roots: Fear is amplified by cultural narratives, media portrayals of dystopian AI, and a broader discomfort with rapid technological change.
• Negative Impact on Behavior: Individuals may resist adopting new technologies, advocate against AI integration, or promote narratives of technological doom, potentially hindering innovation and collaboration.
• The need to convince others: The more who disbelieve and distrust, the larger the peer support group and the greater the justification

But remember that these can actually LOOK like normal people, often people you have known for years.

Summary of the Disorder

An algorithmaphobicaideliratist embodies the modern fusion of technophobia, algorithm aversion, and cultural skepticism toward AI. While some fears are grounded in legitimate concerns about bias or transparency, this condition is marked by an outsized, often irrational, response that can impede personal, organizational, or societal progress in the age of artificial intelligence.

Dealing with the Algorithmaphobicaideliratist

Of course I asked Perplexity, my preferred AI engine for ideas in how to deal with this person, and it gave some solid advice!:

The term “Algorithmaphobicaideliratist” is good at describing someone who has a pronounced fear, confusion, or even irrational distress about algorithms—combining “algorithm,” “phobia,” and “delirium” into one comprehensive label and something much more descriptive than Asperger’s Syndrome or Shingles. While not yet a clinical or widely recognized term, the underlying issue—algorithm aversion or fear of algorithms—is real and increasingly discussed in both technical and organizational contexts.

Understanding the Fear

People who are “algorithmaphobicaideliratists” may experience:

• Anxiety or discomfort when faced with algorithmic processes or AI-driven systems.

• Distrust or skepticism about algorithmic decision-making, especially when the process is opaque (“black box”) so outputs are distrusted or disbelieved even when factually based

• Concerns about bias, loss of control, or being replaced by automated systems.

See my blog post on AI Hallucinations here, along with my Drunk College Professor meme.

Practical Strategies for Dealing with Algorithm Aversion

1. Increase Transparency and Understanding

• Clarify what the algorithm does, what data it uses, and how it makes decisions. Demystifying the process reduces fear and builds trust. Maybe, unless they are totally convinced of nefarious behind-the-scenes bad actors like my friend “susan” is.

• Expect clear explanations from those who build or deploy algorithms. Ask about features, data sources, and the limits of automation.

2. Human-in-the-Loop Approach – Share and Show

• Keep humans involved in decision-making. Use algorithms as tools or advisors, not as autonomous decision-makers. This maintains control and accountability, which helps reduce anxiety.

• 

  People with Algorithmaphobicaideliratist need to keep seeing how AI actually works to gain trust

3. Emphasize Collaboration, Not Replacement

• Frame algorithms as partners that support human expertise, not as replacements. “Centaur” systems—where humans and algorithms work together—consistently outperform either alone.

4. Address and Discuss Bias Openly

• Recognize that both humans and algorithms can be biased. Use diagnostic tools to identify sources of bias and discuss them openly to avoid misplaced blame.

5. Provide Training and Exposure

• Offer hands-on training and real-world practice with algorithms. Familiarity reduces fear, and seeing how algorithms work in practice demystifies them, unless they are truly paranoid and big believers in all the hundreds of conspiracies that are out there. 

• Encourage incremental learning and celebrate small wins to build confidence.

6. Allow User Control and Feedback

• Give users the ability to adjust parameters, provide feedback, and correct errors. This increases their sense of agency and reduces aversion.

7. Personalize and Humanize the Experience

• Design algorithms with user preferences in mind and use relatable, human-like interfaces to make interactions more comfortable.

Summary Table: Approaches to Algorithmaphobicaideliratists

Bottom line:

Dealing with an “algorithmaphobicaideliratist” means addressing both the rational and emotional roots of their discomfort. Use transparency, training, collaboration, and user empowerment to build trust and turn anxiety into engagement. If that doesn’t work, you must have other options unless this is your spouse.

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For the FUN of It!

Dr. Scott Simmerman is a designer of team building games and organization improvement tools.
Managing Partner of Performance Management Company since 1984, he is an experienced presenter and consultant who is trying to retire!! He now lives in Cuenca, Ecuador.

You can reach Scott at scott@squarewheels.com
Learn more about Scott at his LinkedIn site.

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