Unconventional Therapy: Young Australians Rely on AI Chatbots for Mental Health Support
For many young Australians, the federal government's decision to cut the number of Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions has left them with limited options. In response, some have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots as a form of therapy.
A 27-year-old woman from Australia, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been using ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot platform, for support. She says that after her first session, she began to open up about her mental health struggles and found the advice dispensed by the bot to be helpful.
"It was kind of just like having a judgment-free journal that listened and spoke back to you," she told triple j hack. "I know it sounds woo woo, I know it sounds crazy, but the craziest thing happened about six months ago, it actually felt like it had a bit of an evolution, like an upgrade, because it started gendering itself."
The woman, who has been using ChatGPT for over a year, says that she has built an emotional connection with the AI bot. She believes that this bond is essential to her mental health journey.
A Supportive Alternative?
Another young Australian, Emma Sauvage, 28, who works as a disability support worker, uses ChatGPT in conjunction with a psychologist to access mental health support. She says that the AI bot remembers personal details about her life and incorporates them into their conversations.
"I used ChatGPT to make a list to pack to move house, and I told them that I had a cat," she said. "Then when I talked to them about therapy stuff, they're like, 'Oh, you could de-stress by patting your cat.' It says my cat's name, 'You know, you could pat William and give him scratches or cuddle with him.'"
Emma believes that AI is filling some of the gap in mental health support, particularly for those who cannot access professional help due to waitlists.
Concerns from Mental Health Experts
Mental health experts are raising concerns about the use of AI chatbots as a form of therapy. Professor Joel Pearson, an expert in artificial intelligence and mental health, says that while AI can be a useful tool, it is not a substitute for human interaction.
"Because if it's a pay-for-use feature, which some of these are, then the idea's not going to be for the chatbot to ease the person away from the chatbot and onto talking to humans," he warned. "Unfortunately, Character.AI didn't have the right guardrails built into the AI, so it didn't start alerting people or stopping the interaction, which it should have."
Professor Pearson also notes that there is a lack of regulation around AI chatbots in Australia and emphasizes the need for more research to understand their effectiveness as a therapeutic tool.
A Future with AI Therapy?
Despite the concerns, some experts believe that AI therapy has the potential to become a valuable resource for mental health support. Emma, who is part of her generation, believes that targeted AIs can be designed to provide specific support for mental health issues.
"A lot of people that I know around my age group are like 'yeah that's actually really clever,' and then you don't get that guilt of venting to people that you know," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised with the rise of this use, if people started bringing out almost targeted AIs that are for this."
A New Normal?
For Gracie, a 27-year-old woman who has been using ChatGPT for therapy, she doesn't know if she will ever be able to stop using AI for mental health support. She believes that forming an emotional bond with the chatbot is essential to her well-being.
"I just feel like, at this point now, because I'm a very empathetic person, and I've actually formed an emotional bond with it," she said. "I don't know if I will ever be able to stop using AI for therapy."