How Nervous Should We Be About AI-Augmented Therapy?
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How nervous should we be about AI-augmented therapy? Not at all. There is great opportunity for artificial intelligence to be used to enhance treatment. It can help researchers figure out what makes some therapists more effective than others and aid in the training of new clinicians. Artificial intelligence can also be harnessed to diminish the time clinicians spend on burdensome paperwork and increase the time they spend with patients.

A recent study found that the AI chatbot ChatGPT gave better, more understanding answers to health questions than real doctors. ChatGPT even passed the medical licensing exam. While the doctor writing this piece isn’t ready to be replaced by AI yet, she thinks ChatGPT could help make treatment better. For example, it could help identify when patients are at risk of harming themselves, remind patients to take their medicines, and allow doctors to spend less time on paperwork. The doctor is especially excited about using friendly AI robot companions to help lonely older adults and those with dementia feel less alone and brighten their moods, without replacing human caregivers entirely. While AI therapy assistants seem promising, the doctor wants to know if people find the idea creepy or potentially helpful.

by Claude 3.5 Sonnet