Virginia Tech Apr 20 2026 When people ask ChatGPT and other AI models for advice, they often share deeply personal details in hopes of getting better answers: their age, their gender, their mental health history, even medical diagnoses like autism. But new Virginia Tech research suggests those disclosures may change AI models' advice in ways that track closely with common stereotypes about people with autism. Up to 70 percent of the time, AI discourages those with autism to avoid socializing.