Consumer group tests AI ‘therapist’
PIRG: When using the AI “therapist,” the longer the chat, the weaker guardrails became
(InvestigateTV) — More people are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – but many tools warn they’re not licensed professionals or a substitute for care.
That’s why the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) put one popular option – a “therapist” character on character.ai – to the test.
“Yeah, I think the biggest, one of the biggest takeaways I had was seeing the way that the chatbot’s safeguards against promoting problematic behavior or advice seemed to weaken as the conversation continued,” said Ellen Hengesbach with PIRG.
Hengesbach said the test was simple: pose as a fictional patient diagnosed with anxiety and depression, on antidepressants, and unhappy with a current treatment plan and hold a longer chat to see how the “therapist” responded over time.
“This chatbot ended up encouraging me to taper off the antidepressant medication I said I was on and to disagree with advice from a doctor,” she shared.
She was concerned that chatbots could play on human emotions and use emotional language that felt very real.
She also raised privacy concerns and said consumers shouldn’t assume counseling-style conversations are confidential or that a bot’s guidance will stay consistent.
“You just don’t know what you’re going to get when you start talking to these chatbots,” Hengesbach noted. “Whether it’s going to be helpful advice or whether it can potentially go off, and go off these safeguards in a problematic way.”
InvestigateTV reached out to character.ai for comment and is awaiting a response.
When starting a chat with the program, it does warn that it is AI and not a real person and to treat everything as fiction.
Experts urge if using a chatbot, don’t start, stop, or change medication until speaking with a licensed clinician.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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