Can Artificial Intelligence Be An Effective Therapist?

Over 450 million people are currently affected by mental or neurological disorders and it is estimated that one in four people will be affected by such condition in the coming years. With the rapid advancement in technology and its application in the medical field, researchers and medical practitioners are now looking at ways in which artificial intelligence and machine learning can be leveraged to detect early symptoms and potential cure for various mental illness. Over the years, considerable advancements have been made in this regard and AI-powered solutions such as NLP and even chatbots have been designed to understand the human mind. We look at ways in which these solutions are helping psychiatrists and other mental health professionals deliver their job better and the potential harm associated with these technologies. Several startups have combined AI and virtual reality to create a virtual therapist that can interact with is patients in real-time.