Depressed but can't see a therapist? This chatbot could help

Pamela Fox, Woebot's chief technology officer, center, talks to Alison Darcy, Woebot's founder and chief executive, at the offices of the start-up in San Francisco. Pamela Fox, Woebot's chief technology officer, center, talks to Alison Darcy, Woebot's founder and chief executive, at the offices of the start-up in San Francisco. Fifty years ago, an MIT professor created a chatbot that simulated a psychotherapist. Named Eliza, it was able to trick some people into believing it was human. But it didn't understand what it was told, nor did it have the capacity to learn on its own.