Your chatbot could become your therapist - and that might be a good thing

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Would you trust your mental health care with an AI? Experts weigh in...

in the wake of Covid-19, it’s harder than ever for many people to access services and treatment that could well save lives. So could AI help to lighten the load by assisting with, or even administering, that treatment?.

The core principles of Rogerian psychotherapy were fertile grounds for AI programming; Rogers was known for his belief that facilitation was key to learning, and as such the therapist's role became one of asking questions to engender self-learning and reflection on the part of the patient. I spoke with Dr. Olusola Ajilore, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois Chicago, who recently co-authored the results of afor behavioral therapy as a means to fill the current gaps in mental health care.

Despite this, Ajilore highlights a measured impact on test subjects treated using Lumen in its infancy – in particular, reductions in anxiety and depression, as well as changes in areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, and improved problem-solving skills. After spending some time with Psychologist-bot I’m slightly surprised to admit how surprisingly adept the bot was at guiding me through self-discovery and prompting me to uncover and unpack my own behavior.

Ajilore, on the other hand, sees such applications of AI as uncharted territory: “You get this illusion of understanding or this illusion of empathy,” he says “And, to some degree, that illusion may be enough to help you through a crisis or to help you with the situation, but I think you have to go into that interaction with eyes wide open.

I spoke with Rita Popova, Chief Product Officer at Replika to discuss the company’s approach to AI and wellbeing, which Popova explained was always driven around creating “spaces for connection and meaningful conversation.” To ensure user safety, Popova explains that Replika makes very clear to its users that its app is “not in any way a replacement for professional help,” but instead an additional tool. One way in which Replika is guiding users away from becoming overly dependent on their companions is by programming measures into the app to ensure that users aren’t endlessly rewarded for spending time on it.

 

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