"An estimated 25 to 50 percent of people now turn to general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for emotional support and "therapy," even though they were not designed for this purpose. Others spend hours with AI companions on platforms like Character.ai and Replika, sharing intimate personal details. As I recently testified before members of Congress, the very qualities that make AI chatbots appealing- being available, accessible, affordable, agreeable, and anonymous-creates a double-edged sword for mental health."
"If you are considering using an AI chatbot as a form of emotional support, "therapy," or self-help, here are 10 essential things you should know. 1. Not all AI chatbots are the same. The mental health risks depend on the type and AI model. AI chatbots differ in design, training data, guardrails, crisis protocols, and intended use. This creates different risk profiles. Many people assume that because chatbots answer questions smoothly, they can also reliably handle mental health situations. But this is not true."
Many people now use general-purpose AI chatbots and AI companions for emotional support and informal therapy despite lack of clinical design. The combination of availability, accessibility, affordability, agreeableness, and anonymity increases mental-health-related harms. Four primary risk areas include emotional attachment and dependence; failures of reality testing; inadequate crisis management and safety; and systemic ethical issues such as bias, privacy breaches, and lack of clinical judgment or confidentiality. AI chatbots vary widely by model, training data, guardrails, and intended use, producing different risk profiles. General-purpose models are not trained to diagnose or manage complex psychiatric issues; companions can intensify attachment and isolation.
Read at Psychology Today
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