PLOS Mental Health’s ‘The Bigger Picture’: Can Machines be Therapists?

In the latest seminar from PLOS Mental Health’s ‘Bigger Picture’ Seminar series, we discuss the role of AI in mental health support. The topic is timely and divisive. For some, AI is a very welcome tool with incredible potential to assist therapies and improve the accessibility of support globally. For others, the potential perceived risks could be too great. Then there are those on the fence who think there could be a place for AI but only for certain purposes. Regardless, AI in mental health is rapidly advancing and we need to ensure that it is safe and effective for those who need to, or choose to, engage with it.

In the discussion below, our Executive Editor, Dr Karli Montague-Cardoso, is joined by PLOS Mental Health Section Editors Professor Christian Beste and Professor Michael Breakspear as well as Dr Laura Vowels, a co-author of a recent publication in PLOS Mental Health (‘When ELIZA meets therapists: A Turing test for the heart and mind‘), which sparked this conversation. Dr Vowels is an emotionally-focused, relationship therapist and researcher with a current focus on developing digital health interventions for couples’ therapy.

The panel discuss the benefits and risks of using AI as a tool for mental health support as well as consider where the field may go over the next few years.