I Chatted With a Therapy Bot to Ease My Covid Fears. It Was Bizarre.

On a hot afternoon in June, I downloaded a free mental health app called Woebot. I was feeling somewhat worn out and anxious from too many hours reading news about the double pandemic of Covid-19 and systemic racism, and the hubris of too quickly reopening the country. Woebot claimed it could help. "I'm an emotional assistant," Woebot explained, after asking about my mood, which was sluggish and pessimistic. "I'm like a wise little person you can consult with during difficult times, and not so difficult times."