Is AI the Answer to America’s Mental-Health Crisis?

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SPEAKER_2 (0:33)

Hey, TMB listeners. Ready or not, AI is becoming a source of mental health support. A new generation of AI-powered apps offers everything from a sympathetic ear to relationship advice. So, is this an innovative solution to the nationwide shortage of therapists? Or are people putting too much trust in technology during times of personal crisis?

My colleagues from our daily What's News podcast tackled those questions and more in a three-part series looking at the promise of AI mental health tools and their risks.

It's called The AI Therapist. Here's episode one.

Pierre Bienaimé (1:11)

It was tough leaving New York. I was there 13 years. It took me a while to build the social circle that I have there. But here in DC, I only know a couple people. It was definitely a bit of a scary jump.

Alex Ossola (1:23)

Pierre Bienaimé is a producer here at the Wall Street Journal. He recently moved from New York City to Washington DC for a new job at the Journal.

To cope with the stress of the move, he tried the usual things that make him feel relaxed and centered, like going to the gym, playing piano, and spending time with friends. But he also tried something new, talking to an AI chatbot designed for mental health.

SPEAKER_5 (1:45)

Hey Pierre, great to meet you. I heard you're making a big move from New York to DC next week. That's a lot of boxes and logistics to juggle.

How's the stress showing up for you right now?

Pierre Bienaimé (1:56)

I'm skeptical and uneasy about AI overall, and thinking about its risks and the resources it consumes and all that. But as a journalist and as someone who is just moving and stressed out by it, I thought I would give it a shot.

Alex Ossola (2:09)

I'm Alex Ossola for the Wall Street Journal. On this special episode of What's News Sunday, we'll be talking about the growing number of people like Pierre, who are trying out AI tools for mental health, and the growing universe of companies creating chatbots. We'll be digging into the promise of these apps for helping people in moments of need and the dangers that could come with them. This is the AI Therapist Part 1

Some people say that everyone would probably benefit from therapy. That includes people dealing with life's normal stresses, like moving to a new city, and also people coping with mental illness. The National Institutes of Health estimates that about a fifth of Americans live with mental illness. That ranges all the way from mild conditions to disorders that make it hard to live a normal life.

But being able to see a mental health professional when you need one isn't always easy in this country.

Karthik Sarma (3:08)

The American mental health system is quite fractured.

Alex Ossola (3:10)

That's Karthik Sarma. He's a physician and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.

He's a psychiatrist who sees patients and studies how AI can deliver mental health care.

Karthik Sarma (3:21)

The amount of difficulty that you have to access care, if you don't have access to substantial funds, it's huge. That really leads to huge inequities in what the outcomes are for people who are struggling with their mental health.

Alex Ossola (3:33)

Sarma sees a lot of potential for AI tools.

Karthik Sarma (3:36)

My dream would be that every patient could simply log on to a chatbot on their phone and be able to get that therapy right away.

Alex Ossola (3:42)

Sarma works with a company called Slingshot AI as an advisor. Slingshot is the company that makes Ash, the chatbot Pierre used. It's currently free and unlike most real therapists, it's always available.

Getting mental health support to people whenever they needed was a big reason why Neil Parikh co-founded Slingshot in 2023

Neil Parikh (4:02)

You have a problem, you can show up, and Ash is there to help you think through that.

Alex Ossola (4:06)

Parikh's a serial entrepreneur. Since he dropped out of medical school, he's founded a handful of companies.

One of them is Casper, a company that made its name delivering mattresses in boxes to people's homes. It was meant to upend the mattress industry and it had a lot of slick marketing.