Would you share your deepest anxiety with Alexa? Or maybe ask Siri for some support in dealing with your mental health after a particularly stressful day? We’re increasingly turning to smart chatbots or websites and apps to answer questions, but how far can that go?
As these systems, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) software, become more and more sophisticated, they start to provide pretty decent and detailed answers. But would a chatbot be human enough to become effective therapists?
Computer programmer Eugenia Kuyda is the founder of Replika, a US-based chatbot application that says it offers users a “AI companion that cares, always here to listen and talk, always by your side“.
Launched in 2017, it already has more than two million active users. Each has a chatbot or “replika” unique to them, as the AI learns from their conversations. Users can also create their own cartoon avatar for their chatbot.
Kuyda says people who use the app range from autistic children who use it as a way to “warm up before human interactions” to adults who are simply lonely and need a friend.
Others are said to use Replika to practice job interviews, talk about politics, or even as marriage counselors. While the app is primarily designed to be a friend or companion, it also claims it can help benefit your mental health, such as allowing users to “build better habits and reduce anxiety.”
And while anyone concerned about themselves or a family member should seek out a medical professional first, the growth of chatbot mental health therapists could offer many people some welcome support.
Paul Marsden, a member of the British Psychological Society, says apps that aim to improve your mental well-being can help, but only if you find the right one, and only in a limited way.
“When I looked, there were 300 apps just for anxiety… They should only be seen as an adjunct to face-to-face therapy. The consensus is that apps are not a substitute for human therapy.”
However, at the same time, Dr. Marsden says he’s excited about the power of AI to make therapeutic chatbots more effective. “Mental health support is based on talk therapy, and talking is what chatbots do“, he says.
This article used as a source the writing by Jane Wakefield to the website BBC News.
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