Is therapist cheating on you by using Al?

It's already helping doctors to treat patients - but when it comes to psychoanalysts there's a need to tread carefully

- BY DR RAJ PERSAUD, CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST

There's anecdotal evidence some psychotherapists are 'cheating' on patients - by using artificial intelligence tools to assist them in delivering treatment.

After a session, counsellors could type the patient's symptoms into an Al system, using responses in the next session as if they are their ideas.

It's even been suggested therapists use Al secretly to help them respond to patients in online sessions.

Given that research has found some clinicians themselves rate responses generated by Al as often better than they can offer, does this really matter? In fact, you could just stay at home, save your money and go straight to Al yourself.

Al systems, just like badly written self-help books, tend to give generic advice which doesn't specifically take into account the particular individual circumstances of a specific client.