Will AI Replace Therapists?

The growing reliance on ChatGPT for mental health support is transforming the way people navigate emotional struggles.

A rising trend on social media, particularly TikTok, involves individuals using the artificial intelligence as a therapeutic tool. They describe sharing their thoughts with the chatbot and receiving feedback, often expressing surprise at how perceptive and emotionally intelligent it appears to be.

Although AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT can offer immediate, round-the-clock assistance, making them convenient and cost effective for mental health care, its use in this field brings ethical challenges, such as concerns over data privacy, the accuracy of its responses and the risk of users becoming overly dependent on AI.

Newsweek asked experts in psychology and technology to discuss whether they believe AI has the capability to replace therapists in the near future.

A Supporting Role

Daniel Lowd, associate professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Oregon, told Newsweek that AI could help fill gaps in therapy availability. "People have found comfort in talking to AI since the ELIZA chatbot, 60 years ago. People also find mental health support through journaling, exercise, prayer, talking with trusted friends and reading self-help books.

"While none of that replaces a good therapist, good therapists are hard to come by. The waits are long, the costs can be high and a therapist that's right for one person could be totally wrong for another. So if people can find some support and perspective by talking to ChatGPT or [chatbot] Claude, then I think that's wonderful."

Dr. Pim Cuijpers, professor emeritus, Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije University Amsterdam, believes AI will transform mental health care but won't replace humans. "I do not think that AI will replace therapists. There will always be a need for human support and therapy, and that need is so big that the number of therapists will not go down because of AI," he said.

"We have had this discussion in the Netherlands 20 years ago when the first results of our digital interventions (not based on AI) became available and showed that these interventions were as effective as face-to-face treatments. And although digital tools have found their way to routine practice, there is no impact whatsoever on the number of therapists.

"But AI will change mental health care. For some people an AI therapist will be enough (even preferred above human therapists), but for many people it will not be enough. But AI will have impact in all kinds of different ways.

"There is research being done on examining which patient will benefit from which type of treatment, using machine learning (AI). There is research on ecological momentary assessments through smartphone, also aimed at improving outcomes and using machine learning, and there are studies using digital tools as [an] add-on to regular therapy, and for example AVATAR therapy in psychotic disorders.

"So, no, AI will not replace therapists, but it will change and improve mental health care considerably."

Proceed With Caution

Dr. Ben Levinstein, associate professor of philosophy at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, warned that caution is required with AI.

Read the full article here.