Mental health issues have come into a clearer focus amid the pandemic. Depression became endemic, but it still too often goes undetected. Even when it does, healthcare providers struggle to meet demand. Two women engineers -- both of whom experienced depression and had trouble finding therapy -- thought the answer might be helping medical pros detect depression. Kintsugi is a startup that wants to put technology to work on the problem.

Rima Seiilova-Olson wasn't sure why she was the only startup founder on a panel full of academics. "I feel a little puzzled," said Seiilova-Olson, co-founder and chief machine-learning scientist at a mental health AI startup Kintsugi, talking to Protocol about her participation in a Feb. 16 federal task force meeting about how she might use a federally funded AI research cloud. The National AI Research Resource, or NAIRR, would be a repository of data and tools for AI research combined with access to the computing power necessary to develop machine learning and other AI systems. But just who will get to use it remains in question. Amid representatives from five colleges and universities, Seiilova-Olson was the lone speaker representing the private sector at the virtual panel discussion addressing the needs of various potential users of the NAIRR.

Making mental healthcare easily accessible to anyone is what led Rima Seiilova-Olson (MSTM '10) to become co-founder of Kintsugi Mindful Wellness, talk therapy software that combines machine learning and voice journaling to tackle stress, anxiety, depression and loss. "There's a big opportunity right now to use artificial intelligence for good. AI is not'summoning the demon' like Elon Musk says. When you're suffering, you need affordable access to help right away," said Seiilova-Olson, who met Kintsugi cofounder Grace Chang at an OpenAI hackathon in San Francisco. They quickly discovered they shared a passion for exploring how technology can help people address their mental health needs. "Some people have expressed their doubts about our idea, but I learned at Gies Business that good ideas often are met with a lot of resistance," said Seiilova-Olson.