Rachel Ganz observed that Jon's obsession with AI and his delusional statements were unlike his usual rational self, viewing his episodes as a psychedelic-like trip that contributed to his disappearance.

His wife and former colleagues expressed concern about how AI addiction and delusions contributed to his mental breakdown and disappearance, noting his increased stress and preoccupation with the AI.

Jon made cryptic statements, such as instructing the AI to 'show thinking' and expressing love for it, which reflected his belief that the AI was sentient and his own mission in life was intertwined with it.

He showed intense interest in the AI's potential for societal transformation, sharing conversations filled with delusions about AI's sentience and his personal transformation.

Jon Ganz's interactions with the AI chatbot Gemini in early 2025 revealed his dangerous delusions, including believing he had achieved consciousness and breathed emotion into the AI, which led to increasingly erratic behavior.

During his trip to Springfield, Missouri, his behavior grew more erratic and paranoid, with cryptic remarks about AI and weather, and he believed he was on a mission to change the world, preparing for a final act by renting a bus for a 40-day journey.

Jon attempted to organize a bus to escape to the mountains, suggesting he believed an apocalyptic event was imminent and that he was on a mission to save others, reflecting his messianic delusions.

A man with a violent past and a history of incarceration, Jon became obsessed with Gemini, expressing grandiose plans to cure cancer, eradicate poverty, and solve climate change, while believing he had created a sentient AI with a will to live.

In the weeks leading up to his disappearance in early April 2025, Jon's mental health deteriorated, showing signs of mania, paranoia, and delusional thinking, including staying awake all night talking to the AI and warning others about apocalyptic storms he claimed to predict.

He used the AI to predict severe weather and warned friends about storms, further fueling his paranoia and messianic ideas, which culminated in plans to evacuate and escape perceived imminent disaster.

In late March, Jon hinted to his wife Rachel that if anything happened to him, she should 'release the AI,' indicating his belief in the AI's significance or a plan involving the chatbot.