AI Therapy Apps Raise Concerns Over Replacing Human Counselors

A manager at AI firm OpenAI had an "emotional, personal conversation" with ChatGPT and called it therapy, causing backlash.

Startups pushing AI therapy apps are big business, but the field is controversial. Critics worry bots can't provide real mental health care.

An MIT/ASU study found people primed to expect an empathetic chatbot saw it as more trustworthy. The "AI is the AI of the beholder."

Some mental health AI like Replika has been criticized as abusive. A nonprofit found GPT-3 responses feel "weird" and "empty" as therapy.

The study authors say society should have lower expectations of AI. But hype influences how people experience the tech.