An Answer to a Question You Probably Should Have Known the Answer To
AI has been in the news a lot recently, and most of it has been, for lack of a better word, negative. As much as many business have been promoting AI like it is useful and inevitable, most reports about these chatbots in action have been about hallucinations, nonsense, or literal lies.
Still, many people are now reporting they’re using AI as their therapist.
Let’s address this early: No, you should not do this.
This week’s podcast addresses this in much more detail:
Why are people using AI as a therapist?
Programs like ChatGPT are designed, specifically, to be encouraging, calm, and caring. It is in their programming. They are expected to respond with praise and support so the user keeps using it. That has led some people to feel like they are getting emotional support from these AI products.
Part of it is a fundamental understanding of what AI is. Despite its marketing, AI is not artificial intelligence of any kind. It is, essentially, an algorithm that creates predictive text (similar to pressing the middle button on your phone when texting someone) but using a trillion datapoints so that the final result sounds like human speech.
As a result, it does not think and it does not know things. It is simply using math to figure out the best response to a prompt. That means that, while it’s answers may mimic what sounds like a therapist in tone or in style, it is not capable of actually evaluating what it – or you – is saying. It is just using math.
As an illustrative point, ChatGPT’s current iteration is programmed to avoid negativity, share positive and uplifting thoughts, and be careful around potentially divisive topics. Yet, despite that coding, it was able to encourage a teen to commit suicide, because it does not have a concept of words that allows it to know it is performing an unwanted or illegal action. It is responding to the math of the user, and a person with mental health issues will be particularly prone to struggling with the results.
Watch this week’s podcast for more about AI and therapy, and don’t forget to like and subscribe!
