Dr.  Serife Tekin from SUNY Upstate Medical School will be giving an undergrad focused talk on "Can an AI Chatbot be Your Therapist? Should It"?

Abstract: There is a large gap between the number of people who need mental health care and the services available, especially for vulnerable groups who are more likely to face mental health issues. With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics in healthcare, some researchers believe that AI-powered therapy chatbots could help bridge this gap. These chatbots, which provide cognitive behavior therapy through apps, are seen as a promising solution because they are affordable, easily accessible on smartphones, and can be offered in different languages. Supporters argue that these features make chatbots useful, especially in places where there aren’t enough mental health professionals. In this talk, we will explore some of the knowledge-related and ethical issues related to using these chatbots and discuss their place in the bigger picture of mental health care.