It’s my favorite AI story as of late, probably since it captures so well the chaos that may unfold when people actually use AI the way in which tech corporations have all but told them to.
As the author of the story, Laurie Clarke, points out, it’s not a complete pipe dream that AI might be therapeutically useful. Early this yr, I wrote concerning the first clinical trial of an AI bot built specifically for therapy. The outcomes were promising! However the secretive use by therapists of AI models that will not be vetted for mental health is something very different. I had a conversation with Clarke to listen to more about what she found.
I actually have to say, I used to be really fascinated that individuals called out their therapists after checking out they were covertly using AI. How did you interpret the reactions of those therapists? Were they attempting to hide it?
In all of the cases mentioned within the piece, the therapist hadn’t provided prior disclosure of how they were using AI to their patients. So whether or not they were explicitly attempting to conceal it, that’s the way it ended up looking when it was discovered. I believe because of this, one in all my primary takeaways from writing the piece was that therapists should absolutely disclose after they’re going to make use of AI and the way (in the event that they plan to make use of it). In the event that they don’t, it raises all these really uncomfortable questions for patients when it’s uncovered and risks irrevocably damaging the trust that’s been built.
