The Ethics of Automating Therapy

The mental health crisis and loneliness epidemic have sparked a growing interest in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots as a potential solution. This report examines the benefits and risks of incorporating chatbots in mental health treatment. AI is used for mental health diagnosis and treatment decision-making and to train therapists on virtual patients. Chatbots are employed as always available intermediaries with therapists, flagging symptoms for human intervention. But chatbots are also sold as stand-alone.