AI Is a Terrible Therapist

AI chatbots? They aren't your friend or therapist, really!

Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are mainly being used these days to help in doing various tasks, such as analyzing spreadsheets, or searching the internet. But there’s a subset of people who use AI chatbots for a rather intriguing purpose: providing that user with life insights or companionship. There’s a rather slippery slope in saying this, however, because chatbot therapists do exist, and some people have gotten more attached to thei…

AI Is a Terrible Therapist

Investors are betting that AI chatbots can treat people who are struggling with mental-health issues and unable to access professional care. But the way large language models are currently trained makes them sycophantic, and thus fundamentally incapable of providing effective treatment.