How often do you use AI in your daily life? Perhaps you use it to find a recipe, or to help plan your week, or a holiday. But have you ever turned to it for emotional support? 

As the world’s collective mental health is worsening, many who are suffering do not have access to the support that they need, and so the number of people turning to the likes of ChatGPT or Gemini for help is increasing. But are these services safe places to seek this sort of advice?

Today, Stephanie speaks to Johannes Eichstaedt, co-director of the Center for Responsible and Effective AI Technology Enhancement of Treatments for PTSD at Stanford University. There, they are finding safe ways to integrate AI into mental health treatment.

As Johannes tells us, while the apps we carry around in our pockets might not be the best source for psychological advice, AI could be used to support mental healthcare services, which in turn could open up more treatment for patients.

This conversation starts with the pros and cons of AI when it comes to therapy and mental health, but also looks at the wider landscape of how AI might be integrated into our lives, what we have learnt from the social media age, and what education might look like in the future.

Resources & Links 

For more on Johannes’s work with CREATE: https://create.stanford.edu/about-create

If you are concerned about your own mental health you can find advice from your GP or mental health charities like the Samaritans or Mind

Host: Stephanie von Bismarck 

Guest: Johannes Eichstaedt

Producer: Holly Fisher

Production Manager: Angela Crago 

Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino 

The series was recorded and edited at Pod Shop studios. 
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