AI + Mental Health: The Good, The Bad, and the Dangerous

Presented by: Dr. Rachel Wood

Artificial Intelligence is shifting the relational bedrock of society; are we ready for it as mental health professionals? AI is already in your practice, whether invited or not. Hundreds of millions of people are using AI chatbots for emotional support, which means that most clinicians have clients who are turning to chatbots in between sessions. How do we conceptualize this in the therapeutic context? How do we assess for this? What are the potential implications of AI-attachment?

AI is also being seamlessly interwoven into clinical tools such as EHRs for documentation, scheduling, and note summarization. Utilizing these tools requires thoughtful engagement in order to uphold the highest ethical standards of privacy, informed consent, confidentiality, and most of all the therapeutic alliance itself. Before diving into these tools, additional considerations include addressing algorithmic bias and our ethical responsibility to advocate for marginalized communities. All of this and more will be explored in this insightful, nuanced, and balanced presentation of AI in mental health.