[ExI] The AI Therapist will see you now

[BillK]

I am seeing more and more articles about people chatting to AI as a
friend or mentor. Asking them for advice on careers or personal
problems, or just chatting to them as friends. I can see a need for
this in residential homes for the elderly. They may receive few
visitors and chats could alleviate loneliness. But some (many?) people
seem to prefer the privacy and always-available attention of AIs.
Here are two interesting articles.
BillK

Finding Clinical Compassion in Large Language Models
AI's unique ability to craft "empathetic" language may be a powerful tool.
Posted September 29, 2024 by John Nosta

<https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-digital-self/202409/finding-clinical-compassion-in-large-language-models>
Quote:
The key takeaway here is that compassion, even in its artificial form,
can serve as a useful tool in medicine. While AI doesn’t feel empathy,
its ability to structure compassionate language could enhance
patient-physician communication and potentially lead to improved
patient engagement and health outcomes.
Who would have thought? Compassion has found its way into the world of
technology, and it just might transform patient care. In the end, it
may not matter whether this compassion is human or artificial; what
matters is the positive impact it can have on patients' lives.
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And here is an article about the Wysa AI therapist in action.

I spent a month with an AI therapist – this is what happened
Nicholas Fearn    Published Sep 29, 2024

<https://metro.co.uk/2024/09/29/spent-a-month-ai-therapist-this-happened-21667970/>
Quotes:
So was it worth it?
I was very skeptical about whether a chatbot could act as an effective
therapist. While I don’t think AI can ever replace human psychologists
and counsellors, I’m surprised to admit that Wysa is actually a
pretty handy tool for someone suffering from poor mental health.
Either way, I had someone to speak to at some genuinely hard times,
and I will continue using Wysa as an emotional support cushion.
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