The conversation around Artificial Intelligence these days appears to be mostly negative. Very few people have anything positive to say about chatbots of any variety. But a recent 60 Minutes segment reveals one area where they might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
In this case, the medical professional in question would be research psychologist and technologist Alison Darcy. The CBS News segment featuring Darcy reveals how generative AI might be changing the face of mental health treatment. This scenario has emerged for several reasons, namely cost and a lack of access to professional help.
CBS Chief Medical Correspondent and Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine, Jon LaPook talked to Darcy and shared how artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots may assist what he calls a “critical shortage of human therapists and a growing number of potential patients.” In 2017 Darcy designed a chatbot app, “Woebot Health” to serve as an interactive version of herself. The app provides access to those whom she — or other therapists — wouldn’t otherwise reach.
“It’s not about getting people in the clinic,” says Darcy. “It’s about getting some of these tools out of the clinic.” Woebot Health describes itself as a “mental health app.
..to help you work through the ups and downs of life.
” The platform also provides testimonials from users. One of them discusses her relationship with the virtual professional, which she started shortly after the Covid-19.