Eliza’s Ghosts: Do Mental Health Chatbots Work and For Whom?

Catherine Stinson (Queen's University)

Eliza’s Ghosts: Do Mental Health Chatbots Work and For Whom?

Catherine Stinson (Queen's University)

Millions of people are using chatbots for mental health support, some informally, and some as a component of formal mental healthcare. The promise is that chatbots might help reach people who lack adequate access to formal mental healthcare. Chatbots are scalable, affordable, available on demand from anywhere with an internet connection, in multiple languages, without procedural red tape, and with minimal perceived stigma. There are also significant concerns attached to this technology. One question we’re just beginning to understand is what the evidence says about the safety and effectiveness of these tools. Another under-explored question is how this may differ across communities. Given what we know about algorithmic bias in other applications, can chatbots can be trusted to serve the marginalized communities most in need of access to mental healthcare?

February 23rd, 1 - 2:30 PM Eastern