AI: The new frontier for mental health support?

In a live recording at the Innovation at Brown Showcase, Bob Safian hosts a discussion with Ellie Pavlick, director of the AI Research Institute on Interaction for AI Assistance (ARIA) at Brown University, and Soraya Darabi, a partner at the VC firm TMV, about the intersection of AI and mental health. They explore the potential benefits and risks of using AI in mental health support, including chatbot therapy, AI friendships, and romantic relationships. The conversation addresses the ethical considerations, the need for scientific leadership and guidelines, and the importance of understanding how AI impacts human cognition and well-being, while also considering the challenges in evaluating the effectiveness and potential societal changes resulting from AI integration in emotional support systems.