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Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the mental health service industry with chatbots, providing compassionate, reassuring comments for adults and Gen Z. However, their effectiveness and safety remain disputed, with concerns about regulatory gaps.
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, The Associated Press said. 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.
Download the mental health chatbot Earkick and you’re greeted by a bandana-wearing panda who could easily fit into a kids' cartoon.
Questions abound if artificial intelligence-based chatbots can be a mental health service or are simply a new form of self-help.
The question of whether these artificial intelligence-based chatbots are delivering a mental health service or are simply a new form of self-help is critical to the emerging digital health industry — and its survival.