Chatbots & Mental Health: Exploring Risks, Safeguards, & Possible Benefits

Nearly half of all Americans will experience a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their lives, yet access to timely, affordable, and effective mental health care remains inadequate. Meanwhile, generative-AI “chatbots” like ChatGPT and Character.AI have become ubiquitous in the past few years—and more and more people are turning to them for mental health support. With headlines emerging about “AI psychosis” and tragic cases of suicides allegedly linked to chatbot use, the question is urgent: what role can (or should) these tools play in mental health support?

This timely conversation will explore what research exists on mental health-related use of chatbots among the public and what questions are still unanswered. It will provide perspectives from clinicians, researchers, and technology experts about the potential and risks and benefits and discuss safeguards put in place by governments, organizations, and individuals to protect users of these platforms.

Agenda

Additional speakers to be announced. Agenda is subject to change.

3:00 pm | Welcome

3:05 | Discussion

• Munmun De Choudhury (Moderator), Professor, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Ragy R. Girgis, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University Department of Psychiatry and New York State Psychiatric Institute
• John Torous, Director, Digital Psychiatry Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• C. Vaile Wright, Senior Director, Office of Health Care Innovation, American Pyschological Association

3:50 | Audience Q&A

4:25 | Closing Remarks

4:30 | Adjourn

This event is part of the NAM's Health in the Headlines series.