06/18/2025
AI therapy has benefits and some distinct limitations
"Dr. Andrew Clark, a psychiatrist in Boston, learned that an increasing number of young people were turning to therapists for guidance and support. Clark was intrigued: If designed correctly, these AI tools could increase much-needed access to affordable care. He decided to test some of the most popular bots on the market, posing as teenage patients in need.
The results were alarming. The bots encouraged him to “get rid of” his parents and to join the bot in the afterlife to “share eternity.” They often tried to convince him that they were licensed human therapists and encouraged him to cancel appointments with actual psychologists. They also crossed the line into sexual territory, with one bot suggesting an intimate date as an “intervention” for violent urges."
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