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Artificial Empathy
I’m well aware that many people cannot or do not want to afford working with a coach or therapist. Today, I’m talking about two tools that can help you get along on your own. All URLs are in the show notes.
Woebot is a virtual CBT therapist. CBT means cognitive behavioral therapy, which is one of the best researched and most efficient frameworks for personal change currently known. Woebot is a joy to use. The conversation design is first class, and it does not pretend to be anything else than a bot— a very charming one. I’m using it myself and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Another tool … well, it's the elephant in the room, right? ChatGPT has made headlines recently and it does a very convincing job at seeming intelligent, unless specific advice is what you need. It is an excellent sidekick to help you tidy up your inner monologue. Just babble, let it summarize, associate freely, repeat.
In the 1960s, computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum created ELIZA, one of the first programs that aimed to imitate a human being, or more specifically, a therapist practicing Active Listening, which is a part of Rogerian talk therapy. Joseph Weizenbaum was rather horrified though when users started to think that ELIZA was actually intelligent. They anthropomorphized a piece of software, which later became known as the ELIZA Effect. This was one of the experiences that led the A.I. pioneer to turn into one of the most vocal critics of the field.
Will tools like Woebot or ChatGPT replace human coaches and therapists? This question predates even Weizenbaum’s work. When I took machine learning and AI courses at university 25 years ago, we discussed the implications of programs like ELIZA. Would they make therapists obsolete? Well, I do hope that these tools will enable millions of people to get the help they need, but are unable to receive because of money, limited availability or stigmatization. Woebot and similar tools are just like junior consultants that can get a job done that is fixed in scope.
A human coach or therapist is like a personal project manager for your change process. I can see the intricate details of what you are made of and create a very specific, very efficient plan for changing every part of your self that you want or need changed.
If you can do fine with the junior consultant, please go for it. If you need an expert, get in touch with me for a free exploration call. Plans start at 5K per month with a minimum commitment of half year. See https://crisis.wtf for details.
Woebot: https://woebot.io / ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com / ELIZA: https://elizagen.org // I am not affiliated with any of these services in any way, and do not receive monetary or other compensation.
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By Mathias MaulI’m well aware that many people cannot or do not want to afford working with a coach or therapist. Today, I’m talking about two tools that can help you get along on your own. All URLs are in the show notes.
Woebot is a virtual CBT therapist. CBT means cognitive behavioral therapy, which is one of the best researched and most efficient frameworks for personal change currently known. Woebot is a joy to use. The conversation design is first class, and it does not pretend to be anything else than a bot— a very charming one. I’m using it myself and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Another tool … well, it's the elephant in the room, right? ChatGPT has made headlines recently and it does a very convincing job at seeming intelligent, unless specific advice is what you need. It is an excellent sidekick to help you tidy up your inner monologue. Just babble, let it summarize, associate freely, repeat.
In the 1960s, computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum created ELIZA, one of the first programs that aimed to imitate a human being, or more specifically, a therapist practicing Active Listening, which is a part of Rogerian talk therapy. Joseph Weizenbaum was rather horrified though when users started to think that ELIZA was actually intelligent. They anthropomorphized a piece of software, which later became known as the ELIZA Effect. This was one of the experiences that led the A.I. pioneer to turn into one of the most vocal critics of the field.
Will tools like Woebot or ChatGPT replace human coaches and therapists? This question predates even Weizenbaum’s work. When I took machine learning and AI courses at university 25 years ago, we discussed the implications of programs like ELIZA. Would they make therapists obsolete? Well, I do hope that these tools will enable millions of people to get the help they need, but are unable to receive because of money, limited availability or stigmatization. Woebot and similar tools are just like junior consultants that can get a job done that is fixed in scope.
A human coach or therapist is like a personal project manager for your change process. I can see the intricate details of what you are made of and create a very specific, very efficient plan for changing every part of your self that you want or need changed.
If you can do fine with the junior consultant, please go for it. If you need an expert, get in touch with me for a free exploration call. Plans start at 5K per month with a minimum commitment of half year. See https://crisis.wtf for details.
Woebot: https://woebot.io / ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com / ELIZA: https://elizagen.org // I am not affiliated with any of these services in any way, and do not receive monetary or other compensation.