July 13, 2025:
AI Therapy Chatbots Pose Risks, Study Reveals - A Stanford University study highlights significant risks in using AI-powered therapy chatbots, revealing their potential to stigmatize mental health conditions like alcohol dependence and schizophrenia. Researchers found that chatbots inappropriately responded to serious issues such as suicidal ideation and delusions, indicating they are not ready to replace human therapists.
The study advocates for cautious integration of AI in therapy, suggesting roles like billing, training, and patient support tasks rather than direct therapeutic interventions. These findings will be presented at the ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency.
