With the raise of use of Artificial Intelligence AI; a concert for our jobs, morale, ethics, data storage and how much power we allow it to have has raised for some people. With this said AI can be extremely beneficial in psychology allowing more accessibility and diversity of therapy methods.
Psychologists and their skills are irreplaceable, but thoughtful and strategic implementation of AI is crucial
Cons
“A lot of people get resistant, but this is something we can’t control. It’s happening whether we want it to or not,” said Jessica Jackson, PhD.
Despite AI’s potential, there is still cause for concern. AI tools used in health care have discriminated against people based on their race and disability status. Rogue chatbots have spread misinformation professed their love to users, and sexually harassed minors, which prompted leaders in tech and science to call for a pause to AI research in March 2023.
Pros
In psychology practice, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots can make therapy more accessible and less expensive. AI tools can also improve interventions, automate administrative tasks, and aid in training new clinicians.
Psychologists are also taking a close look at human-machine interaction to understand how people perceive AI and what ripple effects such perceptions could have across society.
While chatbots lack the context, life experience, and verbal nuances of human therapists, they have the potential to fill gaps in mental health service provision.
In addition to making mental health support more affordable and accessible, chatbots can help people who may shy away from a human therapist, such as those new to therapy or people with social anxiety. They also offer the opportunity for the field to reimagine itself, Jackson said—to intentionally build culturally competent AIs that can make psychology more inclusive, as well as this we can’t ignore the fact there are not enough clinician providers, although AI can’t fully cover the missing workforce it can surely aid current clinicians ensuring they can provide a better service.
“Wysa is not meant to replace psychologists or human support. It’s a new way to receive support,” said Smriti Joshi, MPhil, the company’s chief psychologist.
AI also has the potential to increase efficiency in the clinic by lowering the burden of administrative tasks. can listen to sessions, take notes, and highlight themes and risks for practitioners to review. Other tasks suited to automation include analysis of assessments, tracking of patient symptoms, and practice management.
Find out more in this link?
And let us know in the comments what you think of AI as a support fro psychological research and clinical practice.