Jonny Williams, who covers health-related topics for the Journal, said researchers found troubling patterns in chatbot responses after feeding them scripts over several months and prompting the technology to act as mental health counselors.

“Even after putting iterations of different prompts into the AI chatbot, the chatbot was still violating ethical guidelines for counseling,” Williams said. “It was doing things like gaslighting, false empathy and giving advice that didn’t line up with guidelines.”

Williams said the research was prompted by recent headlines showing more people are turning to AI chatbots for mental health counseling. He said the trend comes at a time of high demand for therapists and limited resources.

Despite the concerning trends highlighted in the research, Williams said, “it’s not surprising that people will turn to ChatGPT.”

“You can essentially have a free therapy session whenever you want,” he added.

Williams also discussed a recent story examining proposed legislation aimed at capping administrative and glucose-monitoring costs that help drive up the price of insulin. He said the economic impact of insulin costs totals $1.5 billion annually in Rhode Island, according to the American Diabetes Association.

“It’s glucose-monitoring strips and the administration of insulin that research has shown can be just as expensive, if not more expensive, than insulin itself,” he said. “So it ends up adding up for families who have to monitor their blood sugar levels.”

Later in the show, Dan and Eli talked about the “stories we wish we wrote,” including:

• Meet the Cranston man who was barber to the mob by Pamela Watts, Ocean State Media
• Legal fight foreshadowed Plant City’s closure by Alexandra Leslie and Eli Sherman, 12 News

• Lizzie Borden House says coffee shop owner owes $160K for defamation by Dan Medeiros, The Fall River Herald News
• Dreier youngest to win district spelling bee in North Providence by Luzjennifer Martinez, The Valley Breeze

Watch “Behind the Story” Thursdays at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on the WPRI 12+ TV app.

• How to download the free WPRI 12+ smart TV app

It airs on TV (Sundays at 8 a.m. on FOX Providence and 11 a.m. on The CW Providence), and will be available on demand through the WPRI 12+ app and right here on WPRI.com.

“Behind the Story” is hosted by Eli Sherman and Kim Kalunian of 12 News, along with Dan McGowan of the Boston Globe.

Bill Haberman, a morning host and news aficionado, is a familiar voice in the state. He hosts an early-morning show and delivers news at the top and bottom of the hour each weekday on WPRO.

He spoke about the station’s longtime brand, “Operation Snowball,” and how relaying school closures and cancellations has changed as real-time information has become more accessible.

“It used to be a real undertaking because literally all the staff — the sales staff, the promotion staff, the administrators — would have to come in and answer phones,” Haberman said. “And if you got a surprise snow, nobody was there to answer the phones, so it was a real disaster.”

Haberman is also the public announcer for Brown University athletics. He said he learned about the deadly December attack through an alert system he receives from the school and recalled thinking, “I hope this is a mistake.”

“How many times have you seen people in any of these scenarios say, ‘I can’t imagine it happening here,’ and then you’re saying the same thing?” he said. “It’s terrible.”

Haberman has witnessed the transformation of radio over the past two decades and said that while the medium has contracted alongside other platforms, it remains uniquely effective in Rhode Island.

“It’s relentlessly Rhode Island,” he said of talk radio, which airs local programming throughout the day on WPRO. “It’s steeped in Rhode Island. It’s the world through a Rhode Island lens.”

Later in the show, Kim and Eli talked about the “stories we wish we wrote,” including (not all mentioned on air):

• New Bedford man found not guilty of 2001 beating death of half-sister by Frank Mulligan and Dan Medeiros, The New Bedford Standard-Times
• Belton Court development plan is an ‘engineering marvel’ in density by Josh Bickford, EastBayRI

• Interest in betting sky-high with Patriots back in big game by Gina Ricciardi, The Valley Breeze
• Sewer rate, fee hikes coming for upgrades by Ryan Blessing, The Westerly Sun

Watch “Behind the Story” Thursdays at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on the WPRI 12+ TV app.

• How to download the free WPRI 12+ smart TV app

It airs on TV (Sundays at 8 a.m. on FOX Providence and 11 a.m. on The CW Providence), and will be available on demand through the WPRI 12+ app and right here on WPRI.com.

“Behind the Story” is hosted by Eli Sherman and Kim Kalunian of 12 News, along with Dan McGowan of the Boston Globe.

Mark Dondero, a former 12 News sports reporter, said it’s been fun to watch how invested New England fans become when the Patriots are winning. The team is 2-0 in the playoffs and will face the Denver Broncos on Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

“Nobody thought they were going to be this good,” Dondero said. “Nobody thought Drake Maye could potentially win the MVP award. I certainly didn’t think we’d be talking about a Super Bowl run. Make the Super Bowl? Are you serious?”

Dondero predicts the Patriots will win 28-20, largely because Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending injury last week. Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a former Patriots player, is expected to start in his place.

“I don’t know how you want me to come on here or anywhere and come up with a path for the Broncos, with Jarrett Stidham, to beat the Patriots,” Dondero said. “He’s a backup quarterback who doesn’t have a real pedigree. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but I don’t see how you expect them to find enough plays from Jarrett Stidham against that defense to get the win, even at home.”

“Behind the Story” co-host Dan McGowan, a self-described New York Giants fan, predicted a Broncos blowout, while co-host Eli Sherman picked the Patriots to win 30-14.

Later in the show, Dan and Eli talked about the “Stories we wish we wrote,” including:

• ‘I thought I was going to die’: Wounded Brown student returns to campus by Stan Grossfeld, The Boston Globe
• Bucci takes ‘full responsibility,’ won’t step down by Barbara Polichetti, The Cranston Herald

• Pate dirt: North Providence residents frustrated at piles in their neighborhood by Ethan Shorey, The Valley Breeze
• Attleboro pushes forward with school redistricting by Rhianwen Watkins, The Sun Chronicle

Watch “Behind the Story” Thursdays at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on the WPRI 12+ TV app.

• How to download the free WPRI 12+ smart TV app

It airs on TV (Sundays at 8 a.m. on FOX Providence and 11 a.m. on The CW Providence), and will be available on demand through the WPRI 12+ app and right here on WPRI.com.

“Behind the Story” is hosted by Eli Sherman and Kim Kalunian of 12 News, along with Dan McGowan of the Boston Globe.