More than a third of psychologists are seeing their patients turn to AI for therapeutic support

A report by the American Psychological Association notes that a growing number of patients are using AI chatbots to complement, or even partially replace, conventional therapeutic care.

According to a report by the American Psychological Association on chatbots and mental health, more than a third of psychologists say they have patients who turn to artificial intelligence as an additional mental health professional. These patients are increasingly looking beyond traditional psychotherapy for support to manage their mental health on a daily basis via chatbots.

The report highlights that this evolution poses as many opportunities as questions for the profession: psychologists must now deal with patients who come to consultation with diagnostic elements or strategies suggested by an AI, which redefines the therapeutic relationship without the ethical framework having yet fully caught up with this practice.