AI chatbots are here to help with your mental health, despite limited evidence they work

by Matthew Perrone AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Download the mental health chatbot Earkick, and you're greeted by a bandana-wearing panda who could easily fit into a kids' cartoon. Start talking or typing about anxiety, and the app generates the kind of comforting, sympathetic statements therapists are trained to deliver. The panda might then suggest a guided breathing exercise, ways to reframe negative thoughts, or stress-management tips. It's all part of a well-established approach used by therapists, but please don't call it therapy, says Earkick co-founder Karin Andrea Stephan. "When people call us a form of therapy, that's OK, but we don't want to go out there and tout it," says Stephan, a former professional musician and self-described serial entrepreneur. "We just don't feel comfortable with that." The question of whether these artificial intelligence-based chatbots are delivering a mental…

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Scoopvizion (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2024

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