What do clients often look for when they are searching for a therapist, especially a mental health therapist:
· One whose appointments are easily available;
· Who can answer all your questions;
· One who is very knowledgeable;
· Does not charge exorbitant fees;
· Has answers to all your questions.
These days all these requirements are met by using AI, or Artificial Intelligence, and many people are using this technology as a source to return to their wellbeing. However, AI is one option to guide you back to health, but using it to guide your mental health, is giving this technology far too much control than it deserves, in my opinion.
AI merely gathers all the existing data from various sources, to form a large knowledge base, but what it lacks is experience and emotion. One may argue that it has experience, but it is not a lived experience, it is sourced from scanning thousands of files. It does not take into account your body language, or numerous pauses taken when you are discussing your issues with your therapist, in your safe space, or even, your cultural and religious beliefs, if there are any.
A bot replies to your enquiry with no rational thinking, lived experience or any emotion. It is merely replying but not giving a qualified response. Use of such technology is definitely free, but comes at the cost of having to human interaction with an experienced health practioner.
Let us not forget that a man in Belgium ended his life after an AI bot encouraged him to commit suicide, or, a person in the USA was asked to divorce his partner, and a child was asked to put a needle in a socket and touch it, when the child asked how to have fun? These are serious issues and can result in everlasting mental trauma. Lastly, do remember that the AI sites themselves declare, that they are NOT a replacement for your mental health therapists.
The information and views expressed in the article are individual and inspired from the writer’s experience and study in Mental Health & Clinical Hypnotherapy.
Picture courtesy: Google images
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