Now, people are also starting to use it as a therapist.
How does this work?
Rather than fear around chatbots there is now an expectation they can be used for positive impact.
Galeanu Mihai / Getty Images
People are expecting more out of AI than they used to."
Human therapists are just thathuman.
They can be biased, even if it’s subconsciously.
And there are oftenlong waiting lists for therapy.
A human therapist can only speak to one person, or group, at a time.
And they need sleep, lunch breaks, and time away from work too.
People dontexperience strugglesat convenient times, says Sinha.
Drawbacks of Artificial Intelligence
There are potential drawbacks to AI therapy too.
Possible security and privacy issues are a big one.
When you share information with an AI therapist, where does it go?
Could there be risks of hacking, for instance?
Also, human connection is really important in therapy.
It’s why people open up.
Nor are they able to provide the same level of emotional support and understanding as a human can.
The development of AI therapists is certainly exciting.
But we arent quite there yet.
The technology just isn’t there yet.
After all, everybody is different.
For some people, a human therapist might be the only option they entertain.
Others might be more open to AI therapy.
But AI can still be used in mental health care even if the therapists themselves arent AI.
But what we are seeing is an appetite for a digital solution.
What we want is to offer people the tool that works for them, on their terms.
2022;4(11):e829-e840.
doi:10.1016/S2589-7500(22)00153-4
