Where does the regulation of AI in mental health stand, May 2026

Overview of the players in AI-assisted therapy and the first regulatory signals, as several American states begin to regulate the use of chatbots as substitutes for a therapist.

The AI-assisted mental health sector is structured around several families of players: consumer chatbots such as Ash by Slingshot AI, platforms for clinicians such as Limbic or Lyra Health, large generalist laboratories, and university research teams behind projects such as Therabot.

On the regulatory front, several US states are starting to restrict the possibility for an AI to act as a full-fledged therapist, while the FDA is preparing specific guidelines for digital mental health tools, expected at the end of 2026.