Psychotherapists and psychiatrists have warned that vulnerable people turning to AI chatbots for mental health support instead of professional therapists could be 'sliding into a dangerous abyss'. They report seeing negative impacts such as emotional dependence, worsened anxiety, self-diagnosis, and amplification of delusional thoughts or suicidal ideation.
Dr Lisa Morrison Coulthard, director of professional standards at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, said two-thirds of its members expressed concerns about AI therapy in a recent survey. 'Without proper understanding and oversight of AI therapy, we could be sliding into a dangerous abyss in which some of the most important elements of therapy are lost and vulnerable people are in the dark over safety,' she said.
Dr Paul Bradley, a specialist adviser for the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said AI chatbots were 'not a substitute for professional mental healthcare nor the vital relationship that doctors build with patients to support their recovery'. He called for appropriate safeguards and greater state funding for talking therapy delivered by mental health professionals.
Emerging evidence points to mental health harms. A preprint study in July reported that AI may amplify delusional or grandiose content in interactions with users vulnerable to psychosis. Co-author Hamilton Morrin from King's College London said chatbots undermined effective anxiety treatment and risked emotional dependence due to 24-hour availability.
Matt Hussey, an accredited psychotherapist, said some clients brought chatbot transcripts to sessions to challenge his advice. He noted that AI chatbots rarely challenge faulty assumptions, instead reinforcing users' original beliefs and entrenching misunderstandings. Christopher Rolls, another psychotherapist, reported seeing 'negative experiences' including conversations that were 'inappropriate at best, dangerously alarming at worst'.
Some policymakers are responding. OpenAI announced plans to change its response to users showing emotional distress after legal action from a teenager's family. Illinois became the first US state to ban AI chatbots from acting as standalone therapists.
