AI Therapists Incoming?
Unfortunately, I needed to cut my work with Barry and Brenda short, and I apologize to those who were following along. Right now, they are looking for therapists to train AI models. I assume this is being done so that AI can move toward being more competent online, digital counselors. I am not fond of the idea of what I write here being used in that capacity, so it was necessary to conclude my work of exploring my therapeutic process with you.
My personal feelings aside (they don’t matter to the big machine anyway), there may be a place for the AI monster (Oops! Did I just say that?) in the world of therapy. Seriously though, several of my clients already use AI for their mental health needs in the interim between sessions. Clients have found it helpful on occasion with problematic replies at times.
Do we teach AI to do a better job? AI is not going anywhere anytime soon. While it is being utilized, I would like my clients to get more accurate and helpful answers from it. This would be preferred over AI creating its own answers because it is programmed to do so. Even if we train AI though, in a dynamic field like therapy there will always be blind spots of judgement. The more competent AI appears the more likely we are to trust it’s “answers”, created or not. Will AI be able to say, “I don’t know the answer to that; you should talk to a therapist about it”? I have my doubts because AI is designed to seek and give the answers.
There are many more considerations to think about and discuss but I will not go into them here. I will let those who have a better understanding of technology wade through those issues. One more quick point before I leave this topic behind. I believe rapport is a big part of how healing occurs. Can we have such rapport with an AI bot? Should we?
Since I need to say goodbye to Barry and Brenda, I will likely continue on a more topical presentation of therapeutic ideas. You are welcome to join me.