Comment by bl1ndl1fe

There's a lot to say about this topic.

First, the piece of research isn't really strong IMO.

Second, wherever is AI today (with gpt-4o in the research vs o3 which is already so much better) on the issues raised in this research, they'll be ironed out sooner than later.

Third, the issues raised by a number of people around advantages and disadvantages is exactly this: plus and minuses. Is it better than nothing? Is it as good as a real therapist? And what about when you factor in price and ROI?

I recommend listening or reading the work by Sherry Turkle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherry_Turkle).

She's been studying the effect of technology on our mental health and relationships and it's fascinating to listen to.

Here's a good podcast on the subject: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/ted-radio-hour/id52312...

tldr: people using AI companions/therapists will get used to inhumane levels of "empathy" (fake empathy) so that they will have a harder and harder time relating to humans...