1

4/10/23

Enc 1102

Red, Thesis
Green, claims
Yellow, evidence
Blue, signal phrases and in-text citations

AI Therapist

Introduction

Depression and burnout are two common problems many people experience in their

lifetime. In particular, college students and working adults deal with difficult situations and their

mental health suffers. Many turn to therapy to alleviate their issues, but that can be inaccessible

to others due to time, cost, and other factors. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI),

it can help with these needs through computer programs instead of people. As technological

advancements have been made over the years, the introduction of artificial intelligence has made

a recent advancement that granted access to the public. OpenAI’s new chatbot, ChatGPT, takes

input from users and generates responses to simulate human conversation. Although AI can

simulate human conversation, it lacks true human emotion. One of the main points of therapy is

the person-to-person connection that allows the patients to open up to express their feelings.

However, some may find it easier to talk to a chatbot because they are uncomfortable doing so

with a real person. For example, Redditors have posted their own experiences working through

relationship disputes and processing difficult emotions with the help of ChatGPT.
 2

Image 1: Example of prompt and response using ChatGPT as a Therapist

My topic is AI and psychology. I intend to research the use of technology in psychology

over the years and examine the use of AI in diagnosis and treatment. I also intend to explore the

ethics of using AI in this field. I am a psychology major, and I chose my field of study because I

have always been fascinated by the intricacies of human decisions making. I have always been

interested in the impact of upbringing and its effects on people's day-to-day decision-making so I

am very interested in therapy. I am also into computers and video games so the use of AI is

always intriguing to me. My research topic revolves around the potential uses of AI in

psychology. With the introduction of public AI chatbots that simulate human conversation, the

question of its uses has piqued public interest. My research question is: Can the use of AI like

ChatGPT be used as an alternative to in-person therapy or as an adjunct to psychological

treatments? The purpose of my research is to understand and explain the potential benefits of the

use of AI in therapy. I will focus my research on the uses of AI in psychology, its impacts on the

field of psychology, and scientific experiments on AI. There will be terms I will be going over

throughout my research paper. I talk about artificial intelligence(AI) and chatbots which takes
 3

text input from user and respond using AI. ChatGPT is a specific model of AI chatbot released

for public use by OpenAI.

Background and History

The origin of the concept of artificial intelligence is difficult to place but has been

discussed as early as the 1930s with the work of Alan Turing (Britannica). Over time, we

developed the technology of AI to perform increasingly complex tasks such as data analysis and

machine learning, but not to the extent that individuals could interact directly as if it were a

person. In late 2022, the San Francisco-based company OpenAI launched ChatGPT to the public.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that takes input from users and generates responses

to simulate human conversation. According to Will Douglas Heaven in his article, “The inside

story of how ChatGPT was built from the people who made it”, This specific model of AI

employs learning techniques such as adversarial training to stop ChatGPT from letting users trick

it into behaving improperly. To get the text to deviate from its usual patterns and create

unwanted responses, they use multiple chatbots. The successful assaults are then included in the

training data for ChatGPT in an effort to teach it to disregard them.

Healthcare professionals use many techniques to help identify the problems of the

patient. Psychology has seen different technologies throughout the years but has remained a field

centered around human connection and personal judgment. Psychologists use tests and

assessments to help them reach a diagnosis and a treatment plan. These tests are standardized

checklists and questionnaires to effectively measure certain traits to the general public. The

American Psychological Association (APA) stated, “A psychological assessment can include

numerous components such as norm-referenced psychological tests, informal tests and surveys,
 4

interview information, school or medical records, medical evaluation, and observational data.”

(APA).

Psychologists will determine which information is needed from the assessments

depending on the specific questions they ask. These two strategies together help psychologists

get an understanding of the patient's strengths and limitations. However, these tests are varied so

it is important for the psychologist to pick specific tests and assessments that are most suited for

each patient. Diagnostic tools such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

(DSM) have been used in psychology since 1952 as DSM 1st edition. The DSM is revised every

5 to 7 years because it is crucial for the text to be up to date on evolving psychiatric literature.

Currently, psychologists use DSM-5, which was released in 2013.

To conduct my research, I searched for reliable sources with Google Scholar. This led me

to the databases of the American Psychological Association and the National Library of

Medicine where I found many reliable studies and articles I could use to further my research for

the project. I also used Reddit to find informal discussions about online users who have used AI

chatbots as therapy.

Uses of AI in Psychology

Over the years, AI development has been implemented to help serve as a tool with

endless applications. The use of AI has primarily been focused on databases for data analysis and

machine learning.With the recent release of ChatGPT to the public, This development has led

many people to start conducting research because it allowed many users to learn the possible

applications of AI. Psychologists have been experimenting with the uses of AI and have been
 5

used to assist in many things such as psychiatric diagnoses, psychoeducation, disease course

prediction, and many more. Tahan speaks more about the early stages of publicly available AI

and its uses in psychology in his article, "Artificial Intelligence Applications and Psychology: An

overview - MPPT". Tahan has a Ph.D. in psychology and He claims that AI can greatly influence

psychology with its ability to analyze large amounts of data. AI can be used to analyze brain

scans and medical reports to help psychologists better understand mental disorders and their

underlying causes. It could improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests, and personalized treatment

plans, and help researchers better understand the underlying mechanisms of mental health

disorders. He suggests that AI has the potential to make mental health care more accessible and

affordable. People have come up with “virtual therapists” exploring the use of chatbots as a

possible source of personalized care for individuals with mental health issues described in the

article, “Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots in Psychiatry. The Psychiatric Quarterly” by Kay

Pham, MD in psychology. The chatbots use machine learning algorithms to respond to questions

in a natural language to mimic human speech. Chatbots offer psychoeducation and provide

evidence-based interventions but currently struggle to provide specific solutions to patients'

problems.

The article, Your Robot Therapist Will See You Now: Ethical Implications of Embodied

Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry, Psychology, and Psychotherapy. Journal of Medical

Internet Research, by Amelia Fiske et al, who has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology,

psychotherapy, and medical ethics, highlights the benefits and drawbacks of the current

applications of AI in psychology. Public access has increased engagement with AI in recent

years. This exposure to AI will reduce the stigma of its use in mental health care and the

potential impact on social norms and values. However, there are still problems regarding AI in
 6

psychology with ethical dilemmas that should be addressed before being used in health care such

as possible malfunctions, privacy and data security concerns, and possible bias in coding. The

technology is not perfect and can still malfunction with the lack of internet connection and can

crash when too many users are using the chatbot. Chatbots analyze databases and from previous

interactions with the chatbot so privacy and data security is one of the biggest drawbacks of the

current state of AI. Psychotherapy uses many tests and assessments to help evaluate the patient's

health and disorders and the information the patient gives during each treatment. This raises the

question of how AI can be used in a personalized setting if they are unable to manage the

previous sessions' information. Fiske suggests that AI in mental health care should be developed

and implemented with input from a diverse range of stakeholders, including patients, therapists,

and other mental health professionals, in order to ensure that ethical considerations are

adequately addressed.

Impacts on the Field of Psychology

The use of AI in psychology may change the field of psychology as a whole. The

applications of AI can increase the speed of tasks such as diagnosing patients and creating

treatment plans. Leenie Soo questions the possibility of reliance on AI in her article, “Impact of

ChatGPT from a psychological point of view.” She argues that AI has the chance to change the

way humans think by the dependence on technology, changes in communication, the impact of

decision-making, and effect on employment. “As humans increasingly rely on AI to perform

tasks and provide information, they may become more dependent on technology and less reliant

on their own knowledge and skills” (Soo). It could lead to a decrease in critical learning and

problem-solving skills, which can reduce the ability to make decisions independently. The
 7

dependence on technology could harm the way humans communicate with each other. The use of

chatbots could help people communicate more conveniently, but may also discourage people

from engaging in more face-to-face interactions, which could be important for building social

skills and developing personal relationships. One possible way AI will harm the field of

psychology is if corporate businesses like insurance companies may use it as a tool to refuse care

stated by u/schrowa on the therapist subreddit. It is possible that healthcare companies may use it

to take over innovations and maximize profits instead of maximizing the care provided. This

means one of the major benefits of AI being widely affordable and available, can be turned into

corporate greed and lose its value in psychology.

However, considering AI has only just recently been available to the public, these

problems might still take a while to develop and chatbots such as ChatGPT still have their limits.

One Licensed psychologist, Marianne Chang, conducted an experiment by asking the same

questions to a psychologist as well as to ChatGPT in her article, “ChatGPT vs psychologist. How

far has generative AI come?”. The results of this experiment showcased the current limit of

ChatGPT and a positive sign for the potential use of AI in psychology. The chatbot was able to

effectively provide general psychology answers and always recommended seeking out help from

a healthcare professional. The psychologist in the experiment is happy with the results because

the chatbot provided appropriate information when it came to seeking basic advice and

strategies, but believes it is only effective for individuals with mild cases of mental disorders.

Scientific Experiments on AI

Artificial Intelligence is a groundbreaking tool that can affect all fields of research. With

AI chatbots being recently available to the public, many people are conducting research on the
 8

applications of AI in psychology. Some experiments focus on AI therapy itself evaluating the

current effectiveness of chatbots in the use of therapy. Two experiments by Klos et al. and

Dosovitsky et al. conducted experiments with patients communicating with chatbots about their

problems with depression. Dosovitsky conducted an experiment of 354 users using the chatbot,

Tess, to analyze the usage patterns of chatbots for depression. The results of the study showed

that the AI chatbot was effective in reducing depressive symptoms and improving mood among

participants. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the chatbot, particularly in

terms of its ease of use and ability to provide emotional support. Klos' experiment was directed

toward university students with depression. 76 participants split into groups with one group

having access to an AI chatbot. Results showed that the group with access to the chatbot reported

significant improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms. Although effective, this study

was conducted with a small group of participants and a time-lapse of only a few weeks with no

long-term follow-up. Further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness and feasibility of

AI-based chatbots for mental health support. The public has also conducted their own informal

experiments with chatbots as a form of therapy. One Redditor, u/Pianol, shares his experiment to

help him solve his relationship problems on the official ChatGPT subreddit. They simulated a

past event to see ChatGPT’s evaluation and suggestions for his decade-old trauma. The Redditor

was satisfied with the suggestions of active listening skills and empathetic language use and was

curious about the possible application AI can be used in psychology.

Furthermore, there are other uses for AI possible in healthcare that contribute to further

research the application of AI in the future. One study by Shefaly Shorey et al. aims to develop a

virtual counseling application (VCA) for communication skills training in nurse education using

AI. VCA is designed to provide realistic scenarios for nursing students to practice their
 9

communication skills in a safe and controlled environment. VCA uses AI to provide feedback

based on their performance, including nonverbal cues, tone of voice, and content. The results

showed that VCA was effective in improving the student's communications skills with

significant improvements in verbal communication, empathy, and overall communication

effectiveness. This study shows the potential AI has to enhance communication skills training in

nursing education and improve the quality of patient care. However, not everyone in healthcare

thinks the same way, according to Rana Abdullah and Bahjat Fakie. Their survey study was

conducted among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia, including doctors, nurses, and

administrative staff. Results showed that healthcare employees had a generally positive attitude

towards the use of AI applications in healthcare, with 83.3% of respondents indicating that they

believe AI can improve the quality of healthcare. In addition, the study reported that only 38.9%

of the respondents have been given training on AI. The concerns highlighted by the healthcare

professionals consist of job replacement, lack of trust in AI algorithms, and the ethical

implications of using AI in healthcare.

Discussion

The applications of AI in psychology have piqued the interest of many individuals,

leading them to conduct their own research. These research studies were done in many different

ways, focusing on the different elements of the use of AI. With a focus on the uses of AI in

psychology, its impacts on the field of psychology, and the scientific experiments on AI. These

articles provided their own input to the cause of furthering research development, yet yielded

similar results to each other. Artificial intelligence is still a developing field with many possible

applications such as therapy and virtual counseling applications. As time goes on, AI will
 10

continue to develop in both processing power and flexibility. Many problems still remain such as

data privacy, bias and malfunctions or misinterpretations. The use of AI in psychology is a wide

open field and much of the current research is in its early stages. More research is required to see

the full effects of AI in psychology and its future applications. Since AI is not limited to specific

iterations, we must research each major version of AI to determine if it can be a viable

alternative to clinical care. Artificial intelligence is a rapidly developing field with limitless

potential. It has a lot of possible use in the field of psychology. It has been shown that AI can be

used as a form of virtual therapy and may have other possible uses within the field. Much more

research is required to verify the benefits and consistency of using AI in psychology. Research

can focus on the current problems of AI such as privacy and data concerns, possible

malfunctions, misinterpretations, and possible bias in coding. This research will help improve AI

to become a more effective tool for the future.

 11

References

Abdullah, R., & Fakieh, B. (2020). Health Care Employees’ Perceptions of the Use
of Artificial Intelligence Applications: Survey Study. Journal of Medical Internet
Research, 22(5), e17620. https://doi.org/10.2196/17620
American Psychiatric Association: Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d.). Retrieved
March 27, 2023, from
https://www.psychiatry.org:443/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/frequently-asked-
questions

Alan Turing summary | Britannica. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from
https://www.britannica.com/summary/Alan-Turing

Chang, M. (2023, February 6). ChatGPT vs psychologist. How far has generative AI
come? KBR. https://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?
idxno=20379
Dosovitsky, G., Pineda, B. S., Jacobson, N. C., Chang, C., Escoredo, M., & Bunge,
E. L. (2020). Artificial Intelligence Chatbot for Depression: Descriptive Study of
Usage. JMIR Formative Research, 4(11), e17065.
https://doi.org/10.2196/17065
Eabon, M. F., & Abrahamson, D. (2013, November 10). Understanding
psychological testing and assessment. Https://Www.Apa.Org.
https://www.apa.org/topics/testing-assessment-measurement/understanding
Fiske, A., Henningsen, P., & Buyx, A. (2019). Your Robot Therapist Will See You
Now: Ethical Implications of Embodied Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry,
Psychology, and Psychotherapy. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(5).
https://doi.org/10.2196/13216
Heaven, W. D. (2023, March 3). The inside story of how ChatGPT was built from
the people who made it. MIT Technology Review.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/03/03/1069311/inside-story-oral-
history-how-chatgpt-built-openai/
Klos, M. C., Escoredo, M., Joerin, A., Lemos, V. N., Rauws, M., & Bunge, E. L.
(2021). Artificial Intelligence–Based Chatbot for Anxiety and Depression in
University Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Formative
Research, 5(8), e20678. https://doi.org/10.2196/20678
Pham, K. T., Nabizadeh, A., & Selek, S. (2022). Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots
in Psychiatry. The Psychiatric Quarterly, 93(1), 249–253.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-022-09973-8
Shorey, S., Ang, E., Yap, J., Ng, E. D., Lau, S. T., & Chui, C. K. (2019). A Virtual
Counseling Application Using Artificial Intelligence for Communication Skills
Training in Nursing Education: Development Study. Journal of Medical Internet
Research, 21(10), e14658. https://doi.org/10.2196/14658
Soo, L. (2022, December 18). Impact of ChatGPT from a psychological point of
view. My360wellnesshub. https://www.my360wellnesshub.com/post/impact-of-
chatgpt-from-a-psychological-point-of-view
 12

Tahan, M. (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence applications and psychology: An overview.

Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica.
/u/Pianol. (2022, December 19). Using ChatGPT as a Therapy Tool: How I
Resolved a Decade-Old Emotional Conflict and Improved My Communication
Skills [Reddit Post]. R/ChatGPT.
www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/zpcuim/using_chatgpt_as_a_therapy_to
ol_how_i_resolved_a/
/u/schrowa. (2023, February 19). How AI and ChatGPT will affect mental health
[Reddit Post]. R/Therapists.
www.reddit.com/r/therapists/comments/116bhld/how_ai_and_chatgpt_will_affec
t_mental_health/
Wiederhold, B. K. (2019). Is AI for Psychologists? Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and
Social Networking, 22(12), 751–752.
https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2019.29169.bkw