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Artificial intelligence is changing society and medicine.<\/p>\n
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics shows that approximately one out of every five adolescents are resorting to chatbots for mental health advice. The research also indicates most don\u2019t tell anyone they are consulting AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Novant Health therapist Jaren Doby said while the overall number of people using chatbots can be alarming, understanding why it\u2019s being using it as well as listening to their concerns without judging is paramount.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst and foremost, we have to understand and recognize that this is the technology age,\u201d he said. \u201cAI is meeting a need. Young people can access these AI chatbots 24 hours a day. It\u2019s free, it\u2019s immediate and there is no fear of being judged in any way or ridiculed. Being available 24 hours, if a teenager is up in the summer at 2 o\u2019clock in the morning, they can just open an app and start talking to that instantly. And another thing we\u2019ve found is that many feel that it is easier than telling a parent, friend or even therapist about how they are feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
While convenience is a pathway to using AI, Doby said there are limitations when it comes to getting real help to people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to remember that AI truly doesn\u2019t understand human suffering,\u201d he said. \u201cDespite what you tell it, it cannot truly understand your history the way a human can. It doesn’t recognize your body language and can\u2019t always flush through all the trauma that you\u2019ve been through, your family dynamics or even understand risk level the way a trained professional can. So, it is important to be very careful with those limitations. I don\u2019t want to completely dump on it because I believe there are some benefits to AI, but it can put you in some hot…<\/p>\n