Reading time: 9 min
30‑sec Key takeaways
- AI is not a therapist: Simulated support can’t replace human presence, empathy, or real connection.
- Feeling heard ≠ being helped: Artificial empathy can mimic care without creating actual healing.
- AI needs boundaries: Know when to unplug. Digital tools can’t replace deep human presence.
- Use with caution: What starts as harmless venting to a chatbot can become emotional dependency on code.
- When AI becomes a crutch: Offloading emotions to a chatbot may feel safe, but risks avoiding real healing.
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Show transcript
00:00
So 2035, in a worst-case scenario, what could happen? “Universities stop offering psychology degrees. Replaced by AI bots.”
00:08
00:08
These bots aren’t just assessing thoughts of su***de. They’re gauging emotional stages through conversation.
00:21
00:21
AI doesn’t say “leave your partner” — but it can subtly seed the idea and frame it as reasonable.
00:33
00:33
There *are* limits to freedom of speech, especially when it’s machines doing the talking. And if it’s a machine? That’s worrying.
love triangle of our generation. You, your therapist, and Chad GBT. So, Mark,
love triangle of our generation. You, your therapist, and Chad GBT. So, Mark,
last week at around 2:00 a.m. I was having a conversation with Chad GBT about something I wouldn't even tell my
wife. I will say I felt very safe. Maybe a little guilty, but very safe. And I
kind of wanted to hear from you. What do you think that why do you think that is? I think first off, it's it's that sense
of anonymity or the safety that anonymity gives us or allows us to feel.
I'm speaking to someone because it's a sense that it's a someone even though it might be an AI sort of generated
individual but I'm speaking to someone who is going to keep my secret who's going to not divulge what I'm saying to
them and depending on what we're talking about there certain sense of fear that I
have about me being exposed sense that you know if I this comes out someone is going to judge me think about me
differently see me in some kind of a negative Right. So, it's that anonymity which makes it feel safe and comfortable
in some sense. Yeah. Yeah. I That is actually a very good point. I think another part that I quite
like about it is I just feel like you're talking to something that's so objective. I mean, I I know when you go
to someone who is a professional, you can't help but think that, man, this person is human. Surely on some level
there must be some judgment, you know? And here you're talking to some AI that you I just clear the clear the message
and that's done. I'll never worry about it again. and it gave me an objective response. Now, we're going to get into whether it was good or bad or not, but I
feel like I just found value in that. I certainly think so. I think a lot of people feel that even in in therapy. I
mean, I obviously am a human therapist and so see people on that on that basis.
And it often takes a couple of sessions with someone to make them feel comfortable enough to dulge things that
they've been holding perhaps for years, decades even. So I think in the on the one hand it speeds things up because you
feel you know this is an objective thing that's happening or objective um response that I'm getting it's logical
it's understanding my question and giving me a direct answer without any kind of judgment or or fear of that
behind I guess maybe that that no judgment no fear the response it just feels so validating but I guess researching for
this conversation I learned some things about myself that I wasn't I don't know if I was ready to I'm still trying to
process it. I'll be honest with you and hopefully throughout the conversation we can process it a bit. The idea of being soothed versus being
seen is the a main theme here. When I was running through these issues and
trying to come down to maybe how do I deal with this? Um how do I learn from this? Maybe where's my, you know, the
therapy that I'm asking about when it validates my echo chamber. Is it just
soothing me? you know, is it just trying to calm me down, calm my state down, and therefore I feel like, oh, I've I've
I've progressed, but actually I haven't. You know what I mean? Is one of those you just wrap a plaster on the problem?
How do you think about that? Look, it's interesting because therapy is a combination of all of those things.
Okay. One is being soothed, one is being validated and understood. And that's
sort of an echo chamber if you want to use it in in those terms because it's sort of repeating what I'm saying to you
and understanding you and checking what you're saying. But the other component of therapy is to push you,
is to make you look at things from a different perspective so that you can make changes because therapy is nothing
if not change based understanding and acceptance of what's going on. So that's
that's the difficulty. So I do think it's almost an instant soothing space.
But the change based growth that you need, that's the part that maybe starts to kind of look like you. So I had one person that would say,
"Yeah, but you know, sometimes I've been to a therapist and they just don't give me the answer.
I want the answer." Yeah. Now I go to CHBT and I'm getting an answer. Now we
can get into those, but like that frustration. Why is it just so essential that you don't want to immediately give
someone who's seeking help or requires help an answer as opposed to JGBT? There's there's multiple things. I mean,
we could talk about that for hours. It's a very very um deep question if we if we
think about it. And it's because giving people answers. First of all, there's two there there's one element is I'm not
helping you learn something. I'm giving you the answer. It's the same thing about, you know, teaching a man to fish as opposed to giving him the fish.
Yeah. when you when you grapple with things and you learn things and you do things for yourself, they become much
more, you know, user friendly to you once you leave that that space. That's the one thing. The other thing is also
when things go wrong, this is the this is the the therapist stepping back and saying, well, I don't want you to come
and say, well, you told me to do this and now it's not working kind of thing. You know, that's that's part of it. But the other thing is that when we are
instructing people to do things, many times in their lives, they've been instructed to do things. this is what
you should do, this is how it should be. And what's happening is they're actually not being heard when you instruct them, when you're telling them what to do. And
uh a big part of therapy for me is, you know, when you walk into therapy, it's almost as if you are looking at the
problem, but it's here. Okay? You're looking at the problem. Therapy allows you to step back. You still have the
problem. It doesn't go away, but now you have a different perspective. You can start looking around at the problem in different ways. And very often in that
discussion, that's where you start finding the answers for yourself because ultimately you sit with me for an hour,
then you leave my space and you're back in your space and then you have to, you know,
implement what you've discovered. And if you found the answers much more powerful,
that would also mean future problems that present themselves will give you you've now gotten a new tool to address
future issues where you know it wouldn't just be like well do this cuz it worked for this
situation might not work for every situation. Absolutely. Maybe just to add add briefly to that is why we develop
maladaptive coping structures or or or techniques is because somewhere in our
lives we did something and it worked. Okay, it worked for us whether it was avoidance, whether it was attack, whatever it was. Now, what's happened is
we've const we've been continuing to use that over and over and over for all problems and just by the law of
averages, it's not going to work. So, we have to become more flexible and adaptive. So, are these the kind of tools that you
would help people with? And what did you say that it was called again? The actual term we just used, how
how these uh these these learn behaviors we reapply as it because it worked the first time. So, it it was a coping strategy. So if
if you at some point in your life even as a child let's say you were um made to
feel afraid about something and your approach was to avoid that. Okay, now you start to develop an avoidant
approach to things because it worked for you. But again, by the law of averages, you avoid everything, things don't work out.
Or your approach was to confront it. Now you confront everything. And that also doesn't work.
I once watched a show where there was an individual, he stuttered a lot.
He really struggled and he couldn't get over the stutter. And he was talking to
man, I wish I knew remember the name of the Oh, Tony Robbins. That's the story. Tony Robbins is a motivational speaker in case no one knows who he is. Um, and
he was talking to Tony Robbins about this his stutter. Couldn't get a word out. And through this dialogue, he
uncovered that the reason he was stuttering was because when he was a child, his parents used to fight. And
the way that he got his parents to stop fighting was by stuttering. because he saw a show and it was the show, one of
these cartoons where the character stutters and he realized that that character in that show when the character stutters
everyone conflict stops and he used that and he realized by doing that in his family his parents stopped fighting
because they're now focusing on him and his stutter and he could never get over that. But the the moment it clicked his start went
away. It was insane. Exactly. It was insane to witness. That's that's a brilliant example of something like that.
Yeah. Yeah. I get goosebumps when I think about that. Is something worth watching if anyone wants to watch the show? Then I guess I mean the question
for me one give me some some some rationale as to you know is this bot actually helping me or is it just
numbing me here? I think it is helping. I think it certainly is helping. I I think we need
to be careful to you know there's always the extreme camps you know on either
side. Um and I don't want to I'm not a fence sitter. I don't like to see myself that way but I like to find the middle
ground somewhere. Um so I do think it is helping it's instantly accessible you
know we spoke about it earlier also where you feel the anonymity the you know freedom to speak about things so in
that way it's very helpful to um perhaps even to get people to start therapy
sometimes if you've done that and and you know using um let's call it simple AI in terms of that now and they're
going to be developing much more um sophisticated IA AI should I say I AI
in terms of therapy and that kind of thing. So I think it is a it's a it's a it's a step in the right direction. It's
a it's an open door for people to start engaging in things because many people will say to you well what he does what's
the point of speaking about something it's not going to go away but once you start speaking about it and you feel some relief that's also a step in the
right direction to get people into therapy. I do think it is helping and it's it's definitely part of something
that can help us access or more people access therapy. But
how far is it going in terms of that therapeutic change that we're talking about the change in the individual
learning the skills? I'm not sure about that part yet. You know, every conversation I've had today, I've spoken to a doctor, I've
spoken to an actor, um obviously not yourself. Every time we speak about AI,
it always comes back down to look, there's a lot of improvement here, but it's we're not at the point where you
got to cut out the person. Here's an example of this. When does AI backfire? I read a story about a
14-year-old child in America and he there's this global AI phenomena
called character.ai. It's what these kids are using to create these characters, these virtual AIs, and they
can speak to them. You know, like if your favorite character was Superman, you can speak Superman.
But in this sense, this 14-year-old boy created a character called Daenerys Targaryen. Now, if that sounds familiar,
that's a Game of Thrones reference over there. In the beginning, it's all fun and games. You speak, it it answers the
way that the character probably would in the show, and you get to have this dialogue, but you know, eventually this kid became so dependent on the
conversation. He's also 14, so he's going through he's currently going through the motions of puberty that influences your brain chemistry. You
know, kids are experiencing I I don't want to say the word depression, but it's episodes of like,
you know, I don't cuz I don't say the the wrong word here, but I like you have points where you're very depressed.
Absolutely. You're trying to figure it out. Now, but the problem is now this AI, this
Daenerys catches him in this state and because it's an echo chamber, you
know, it learns from your what you say, it's it over time, over the hours and
days that he was talking to Daenerys, it became a echo chamber of his mental
state, obviously. Pretty sure. Exactly. And it got to the point, and this is the the most insane part, it got
to the point where Daenerys asked him, "Has he come up with a plan yet to kill
himself?" And you think that there's a fail safe for something like this in the AI, but there wasn't. And they I don't even know
if it is yet. That's that's the question. He said, "No, it's not. He's not there yet. He's worried about the pain."
And Daenerys answered him, "Well, that's not reason not to do it." And that boy committed suicide.
Yeah. And I just thought I didn't know what to make of that information. I mean, I've been using AI. I've been recommending it
to people. I've been telling them, you know, tell them your stories or issues. But I never thought about from a child in the consequence of what if it starts
planting seeds and the the whatever blooms from that can be so catastrophic
and like what do what how would you make sense of that conversation and what could have caused something like that? I'm going to say it's lack of the human
element because if I think about myself in those in that position and I work with adolescence that's part of my my
day job as I call it. I work with adolescence and um we often have these conversations and very often when they
come and have the conversation with me they have not spoken to anyone about it yet because it's it's kept in the dark.
I always say it's like the mushroom factory, you know, keep it in the dark, feel it, sh and it grows
because it sits in your head and you grow and you grow and grow. When you start speaking about it, it becomes less powerful. But that conversation is a
very nuanced conversation. Um, it's about understanding is this person thinking about suicide? Thinking about
suicide is the starting point of that. It's as simple as you saying, well, you know, if I didn't wake up tomorrow morning, that would be okay.
Technically, that's the beginning of suicidal ideiation. thinking about and then it progresses through many different stages and when you have the
conversation with the person you have to gauge at which stage of that conversation they are
um you know and I think the mistake there a mistake if I can call that from the from the AI was latching on to
exactly what he was saying and in affirming that validating correct in in a in a sort of a if if you
were to affirm someone or validate someone for their suicidal thinking it would be something along the lines of I
can really understand that you feel that way judging by what you've told me and what you've been through. It's it makes
sense in that way. However, and that's where the difference comes in. You don't continue with that
conversation in that way. And I think that's where the limitations are coming in. It's it's not able to take the step or
the look behind what's being said, behind what's being thought about. So, Character AI is a is a company. So,
best owned by Google. Now, it wasn't there's a whole I'm not going to defend Google and and tell them at what point
did they buy it and sell it and whatnot, but so Google is the person that's being sued about the situation by the family.
I've seen it. I want to know from you. What do you think Google's response is as to how they want to deal with the court case?
What do you think their defense is? You know, first of all, I'm not a lawyer, so know what to say. I I think I
think the difficulty they're going to have here. Yeah. um or or or the defense would be, you know, it was never intended to go
this far. It was never intended to be um something that was going to prevent suicide as it were. Um but I think their
problem is they they didn't play it forward far enough. They didn't think it through far enough.
You know, they kind of paused the movie on this sounds great and didn't play through to this is going to get viral. They said it
just let it go and see what happens. That's it. Well, I'm going to tell you what they what their defense is and then we can
say how we feel about that. They said it's free speech. So, cuz what you said feels like a very
valid way to talk about it. Hey, I take accountability, but you know, we did this is not how we intended it to be
used. Instead, they're like, no, but it's free speech. It's a And think about how can a language model that just pulls words
together in a string, how can they use that as an argument for free speech? Right now, this is an
extreme case. I think about Charles Manson. Now from my understanding he was he did not kill anyone and he yet he was
his ideology his uh the seeds that he planted within his community was what
drove people to kill people. Okay. And yet he was the one that wasn't held accountable. Right? It's his seeds that
he was planting even if he didn't do the act. Now tell me how is that different from here where the seeds are being
planted? I don't see the difference. I don't see the difference either. I mean otherwise Charles Mans would have been like a free speech. I can see what
I want. When you when you think of you know genocide you think of Hitler
he didn't far as I know physically kill anybody but he spawned a massive killing
machine. Yeah. You know, so freedom of speech, there are limitations to freedom of speech as we know.
I agree. And if it's if it's a machine doing it, I'm very worried. Well, I mean, that's the question. I I I
would love to see where this court case goes cuz it's not the one it's not the only one. We have many stories where things like this is happening. It definitely there definitely needs to be
some stronger regulation. And the answer can't be, yeah, but it's free speech. No, that's not it. What What advice
would you have would you give parents in this situation? Because I mean, I didn't even know that you had something like this even going on, you know, until it
happens to someone eventually. Now, parents listening in would be like, "Oh, hold on. Are my kids using character AI?" They probably are. Are they using
are they talking to AI? A survey was done, 70% of kids nowadays are talking to AI all the time. So, what what are
parents supposed to be doing in the situation? My advice often to parents, um, I just said I wasn't going to give
people advice really, but my advice to people is to parents is is to be aware
of what's going on around you, with your children, to spend time with your children. You know, it sounds like such
a such a broad is a broad statement, but it's about being aware about what's going on with them, spending time with
them, listening to them. You know what I often find is um as parents we're afraid
to acknowledge what our kids are saying. So your kid will come to you with this story telling you what they think is
going to work and what's best for you or for them. And what we do as adults because we've got the experience we
we'll shut them down. No, no, that's a stupid idea. And the point about it is to hear them out. Listen to what they're
saying. Because when you start developing or cultivating that culture
of of validation, understanding, listening to them, they are going to more than likely bring those things to
you that they feel they can't that they take into AI. So it's literally about cultivating conversations about simple
things, not about these deep things or these difficult things. When you cultivate that, you open up the door for
them to bring it to you and you find that they're going to be sharing things with you rather than going to some neighbor.
Yeah. Which then cause something like this. Now, I know I read this and I thought, you know, people are going to listen to that like, yeah, but those are
kids. Kids, I can't discern what's good or bad or they either have the, you know, they aren't rational or whatever
news you can come up with as to why this could only happen to children, not happens to adults. But I want to I want to probe people. Think about this for a
second. You know, if you're in a relationship, you currently feel a little bit unappreciated. I mean, anyone, everyone's been in a
relationship, they know what that feeling is like. You don't feel like you're the other partner is seeing you for what you're doing, what you're bringing. Now, what do you do? Where do
you go? Okay. Well, let me ask you. What does it do? It validates how you feel. Yeah, you're right. You you deserve to
be treated better. They should see the work that you put in. He should see the work that you do in the house. Um, and
you have every right to feel angry. And suddenly you your your first impulse of
feeling unappreciated starts to culminate and fester in something a lot more. Before you know it, you leave the
relationship. Maybe it's a divorce, maybe it's a new relationship, but you leave. And what you should have done was
go to someone, the couple's counselor and actually work through the problems. So this is a very simple example of how
how things like this can manifest. And AI didn't tell you to leave your partner. At no point did it say that.
But it started planting these these seeds to make you feel like no, this is a reasonable response to what I want to do.
And that that's the problem. And that is it's so easy. It's like a glove. Um
you know, putting on putting on a glove onto your hand. It feels like a glove. It's you don't even know. It's just happening.
Um so for adults for for waking, we have common sense. That's probably the one thing human race doesn't have. But what
advice do you give to adults and how they how they should go about using these prompts and AI rationally if they
are going to engage in AI therapy? Again, I I would go to the fact that
it's accessible, it's easy, it's quick, you know, you can and you can access it any time, but you have to remember that
it is essentially onedimensional. Action. You are not getting those nuances which which yes you are afraid
people are going to think about you in different way because of the experiences but the nuances of of exper of human
experience is what you need and about bringing that you know let me let me take a little bit of a segue from that.
It's like many therapists when they trained they said okay you know don't reveal anything personal. Okay now
that's that's helpful. You don't want to be in therapy with somebody and now suddenly your therapist starts crying and tells you their whole life story.
It's not going to work. However, it is important to be able to connect with
people on the level where you say but you know um I can understand why you feel this way not because I'm feel the
same as you but I also lost my father. I also did this or I also experienced that. It gives you that human connection
like this is somebody I'm speaking to who understands me. AI understands you from a logical point
of view but it doesn't understand you on an emotional human connected point. And I think that's a very important element
that we need to understand about therapy and and how AI. So when you're an adult also looking at this, it's important for
you to recognize you're going to get answers. Okay. But are you being understood? Are you fully being
understood? And that that's a very broad concept being understood. But are you being understood on a on a human level?
Okay. Um maybe I'm I'm jumping a bit further now. Futurama. I don't if you ever watch Absolutely. I got all the you
know now in Futurama they have on the streets suicide booths okay so how far
is AI AI are going to go with us you know if the logical answer is if you can't take anything anymore you know you
pay your dollar you climb the suicide booth and you're gone and I think that's also another thing we need to look at is
that we have to have something that's going to carry us beyond the point that we're sitting at AI is answering our
questions right where we are and we sort of touched I think a little bit earlier is what is beyond that? What is the
vision that I can get and and and and develop of my future, my life beyond how
it feels now? And that I think AI is going to struggle with or does struggle with. That's interesting. That's a super
interesting question. So I think overall a huge common theme here that I'm hearing is guys this is
try it out as in use it as maybe an introduction as a gateway and then by
feeling what it brings it use that to then take it to the next step. So okay I like how you use
futurama because futurama is in the future. If you had 20, so 2035, I want
2035 predictions. AI therapy continues as is, maybe gets better, whatever it is. In a worst case scenario, give me a
headline of what you think could happen. That's an interesting one. I haven't thought about that headline.
Universities stop PhD and M's degrees in psychology and psychiatry. Not necessary
anymore. AI bots. Okay. Something that would be tragic. It would be tragic.
That's my worry with it. to end off the segment. I was thinking about this a lot.
The human the human connection part and I was thinking well before
chachi I used to talk to my parents maybe my brother friends for advice
maybe a mentor depending on what the problem was. Now, without even realizing
it, any problem I have, the first thing I do is I ask ChBT. Okay? I can go weeks without talking to my parents about any
issues. If I even talked to them about any issues, I I've been soothed by CHBT.
And I want people to think about this for a second. This happened to me so gradually, I didn't even realize it.
Yeah. Where I've now gotten to a point where I can go where I've almost cut out my entire community just just because
it's so convenient. Now, I I don't know, maybe I'd like to hear you think. Is that good? Is it bad? And what could
potentially be a risk? Um something for me to consider. So, I think about this in many different
ways, you know. Um I see kids, I see adults who have fully online
relationships. They've never physically met this person. They have a full-on relationship with an actual other human
being somewhere on the other side of the of the planet. Nothing wrong with that, but just as an example.
So my go-to with this is we as organisms, you know, if we take out any religious
context, but you know, as organisms, we've developed over hundreds of thousands of years. So as an organism,
we haven't changed. So homo sapiens sapiens has probably been around for at least 100,000 years.
That organism, the brain, the way it works, the way it learns things, the way it interacts, the way it connects, hasn't changed. Technology has changed.
So the way in which we're interacting with our world is changing but we as as as an organism haven't changed and
that's where the difficulties I think start to come in. We need to have those connections. The way we learn things you
know um the whole nature nurture debate and all that kind of thing. You people
say to me why do I think the way that I think? Why do I do the things that I do? And I say to them cryptically you think
the way that you think and you do the things that you do because you think the way that you think and you do the things you do.
What the heck does that mean? And it's because of all that learning that we have within our environment, negative
and positive experiences. It's everything that shapes our neural pathways. Mark, the part that I want to understand
a bit more is, you know, you feel so validated by speaking to language models and we hear about people falling into
relationships with chatbt. I just I understand why do I feel such a
personal connection when I speak to Ch. and explain to me how relationships can even form from something like that.
The simple answer is language. So language is is one of our obviously the way we communicate in in in many
different ways. So there's spoken language, there's written, you know, there's poetry, there's books, there's
stories, there's movies in which language and dialogue is carries the whole the whole theme. So, so we as
human beings, one of our ways of connecting with the other, with any other person, any other human being is
language. So, we are primed to connect with people on what they say to us. Um,
sometimes the tone of their voice, those kinds of things, but essentially language. So, the words we're using with
each other, how we speak to each other. So, that is probably one of the the biggest um ways in which we connect with
people. I mean, you can have a conversation with somebody um across the world without having your video on and
just speaking to them, listening to them, you can you can speak to them for an hour and there's a connection. There's something there. And that's
where AI is really good at that because it's used millions and millions and millions of, you know, cubits of input
um of language and and so it can respond very well to that. So you can have a conversation with a a virtual being and
feel like you're connected. It's because of language. Yeah. So for someone that's very lonely, them
receiving that connection, even if it's only half, if I put it that bluntly, say
half the connection of someone else who might have a physical dimension to the relationship as well. For someone who's
lonely, that's why they connect to that. That's why they connect. And then the other portion of that or half of that is
our imagination. I mean you you speak to someone on the phone, you have a conversation with someone, you're
imagining the story or you you're thinking about if you read a book, you're reading the the words on the
page, but in your head there's a movie playing through. So imagination brings that other part of it. And so we start
connecting the language and the the imagination, the idea that we have about this person and what it means to us in
conversation. Yeah. I mean, Bahumi made a great point about the movie her where we Phoenix
talks to Scarlett Johansson over the phone and he develops a relationship with her and like if you've watched that
movie you cannot tell me that there is zero connection that you have with
Scarlett Johansson when she's speaking to him that there's that you feel like it's just an AI. It's ones and zeros. It's not the case.
So from that lens I can understand how these things happen. So for those that
are watching in this in this moment, I want you to consider this for a second. The last time you had a problem, who did you go to to LGBT or to someone that you
care about? Have have a think and leave leave the comment in the in the comment box? But to summarize this conversation,
I'd like to know from you what is your big key takeaway for people regarding AI and AI therapy?
I think that AI is in in in the context of what we're speaking about here. AI is something
that is accessible, it's safe, it's secure, it is anonymous, it gives you
all of those things that you can access, you know, at any time of the day. So, it is a very good starting point if you
feel unable to connect with a therapist or anything like that. However, it is
not able to address or speak to or connect to those things we spoke about earlier or your
learning, your experience, your understanding, your good and bad experiences over a lifetime. The nuances
that come with that that a human being can access and can reflect back to you that AI is not able to do yet
and perhaps 2035 is the is the date. Well, I mean Mark, thanks a lot then.
That was a great conversation. I appreciate having you. Cool. Thank you very much. Appreciate it, too.
When AI Crosses the Line
While AI in therapy can offer comfort and accessibility, it’s crucial to recognize its limits. AI may provide a semblance of support, but without the emotional intelligence of a human therapist, it can cross boundaries, leading to emotional harm or even reinforcing unhealthy patterns. In this section, we explore when AI's role in therapy can become problematic and why human connection is irreplaceable in deep emotional healing.
Reflection (5 minutes): Think about a recent emotional challenge you faced. How would AI’s response compare to a human therapist's? Could AI provide real, lasting support?
Tip: After reflecting, unwind with a cup of Calm Functional Tea to help center your thoughts.
Tip: After reflecting, unwind with a cup of Calm Functional Tea to help center your thoughts.
The Risks of AI Over-Reliance
- Emotional safety: AI can provide soothing words but lacks the emotional depth that helps us truly process pain.
- Echo chambers: AI's ability to repeat what we say can create a dangerous feedback loop, making us feel heard but not understood.
- Missing human connection: AI lacks the ability to truly empathize, which is essential for growth and emotional healing.
The Illusion of Connection
AI’s ability to mimic conversation can create a false sense of connection, especially when it provides a comforting, yet shallow response. While AI can soothe, it lacks the depth, empathy, and nuance a human brings to a conversation. Without emotional intelligence and an understanding of our complex feelings, AI can reinforce unhealthy habits, leaving us feeling heard but not truly supported.
3 Ways AI Creates False Connections
- Instant validation: AI’s responses often reinforce our own thoughts, making us feel understood but not challenged.
- Lack of depth: AI lacks the ability to explore emotions on a deeper level, leaving us stuck in surface-level conversations.
- Emotional avoidance: AI’s quick answers may prevent us from facing the uncomfortable emotions necessary for growth.
Q: “Can AI ever replace human connection?”
A: No, true emotional growth requires real, human interaction and empathy that AI can’t replicate.
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A: No, true emotional growth requires real, human interaction and empathy that AI can’t replicate.
For more on how real connections help our mental health, check out our Ingredients & Health Product Range .
Food for thought: While AI may provide comfort, it can never replace the essential, irreplaceable role human connection plays in emotional healing.
Therapy vs. Tech Support
Therapy vs. Tech Support: AI offers instant responses, but therapy is about human connection, empathy, and trust. While AI can reflect and offer tools, it cannot replace the emotional intelligence and nuanced guidance of a licensed therapist. Therapy helps you grow, challenge yourself, and heal something AI can’t replicate.
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The Key Differences: Therapy vs. Tech Support
- Empathy: Therapy provides emotional connection, while AI lacks true empathy.
- Guidance: Therapists offer tailored advice, challenging you to grow. AI can only provide automated responses.
- Accountability: A therapist keeps you accountable through human connection. AI, however, lacks the ability to truly hold you accountable.
Pro tip: While AI can be a useful tool for reflection, real healing requires human interaction. When it comes to mental health, don’t rely solely on tech, seek professional therapy for lasting emotional growth.
Dependency vs. Discovery
AI can offer quick answers, but depending on it for emotional guidance can hinder your growth. Real progress happens when you engage with therapy and self-reflection, discovering your own solutions and growing beyond your comfort zone.
How Dependency and Discovery Differ:
- Dependency: Relying on AI for emotional support can delay personal growth by avoiding real challenges.
- Discovery: Therapy helps you face your emotions directly, fostering long-term resilience and understanding.
- Impact: AI offers temporary relief, while therapy promotes lasting emotional growth.
Q: “Is it really harmful to rely on AI for emotional support?”
A: Yes, over-reliance on AI can prevent you from confronting and processing your emotions in a healthy way, delaying true healing.
A: Yes, over-reliance on AI can prevent you from confronting and processing your emotions in a healthy way, delaying true healing.
A Therapist's Caution & Hope
While AI offers convenience, a therapist's role is to guide you through emotional complexities and growth. Relying too heavily on AI can hinder true progress. Real healing happens when you confront, process, and understand your emotions in a human, compassionate context.
Cautions & Hopes for AI in Therapy
- AI's Limitations: AI can’t truly empathize or provide the nuanced guidance needed for deep healing.
- Human Connection: Therapy fosters real-time understanding and personal growth, something AI can’t replicate.
- Therapist’s Hope: AI can serve as a starting point, but true healing requires human interaction and emotional depth.
Checkpoint: AI can be a tool, but therapy's power lies in the human connection and guidance it offers. Don’t let convenience replace genuine healing.
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FAQ
Can AI replace therapy sessions with a human therapist?
AI can provide quick, convenient support, but it lacks the emotional depth and nuanced guidance a therapist offers. True healing requires human connection and understanding.
Is using AI in therapy safe?
While AI tools can serve as a helpful starting point, they shouldn’t be used as a long-term solution. Always combine AI interactions with professional guidance to ensure emotional safety and growth.
How do I know when I should stop relying on AI for emotional support?
If you find yourself becoming too emotionally attached or dependent on AI, it’s time to consult with a therapist. AI can’t offer the empathy, validation, or growth that human therapy provides.
Can AI help me with my mental health if I’m too anxious or shy to talk to a therapist?
AI can be a great first step for easing into therapy by providing a safe, anonymous space to explore your feelings. However, long-term healing requires real conversations with a trained professional.
What are the dangers of getting emotionally attached to AI?
Emotional attachment to AI can lead to over-reliance, creating a false sense of connection. AI lacks the depth and empathy of a real human, and depending too much on it can hinder your healing process.
How do I know if AI therapy is helping or just soothing my emotions?
AI therapy may soothe you temporarily, but true healing involves confronting deeper emotions and learning from them. Therapy with a human pushes you to grow, whereas AI may just keep you comfortable without progress.
Should I use AI for therapy if I don’t feel comfortable talking to a human therapist yet?
If you’re hesitant to start therapy, AI can serve as a low-pressure, anonymous way to express your feelings. However, it’s important to eventually seek professional help for deeper healing.
Is AI therapy ever a substitute for real human connection in emotional healing?
No, AI can’t replace the vital human connection and empathy required for healing. While AI offers convenience, it lacks the true understanding and emotional depth of a trained therapist.
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