Y’all, I have to be honest: I’ve been going through some stuff.
In the wake of two hurricanes that disrupted and even destroyed the lives of thousands of people, my troubles seem pretty petty.
But last week was one of the top five most challenging weeks in my entire life — and I’m struggling to come up with the first four. It’s been tough.
I Spent an Hour in “Therapy” with ChatGPT
I don’t have a therapist, but with what’s been happening, I really needed someone to talk to. And so I ventured into uncharted and possibly dangerous waters by using the Advanced Voice Mode of ChatGPT for help. (I just got the advanced version. Click here to see another voice demo mode.)
ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode Demo
Before I share some insights into how the counseling session went, you need to see how cool this is. It’s so dang good that ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI, reported several concerns, including:
- Users might form attachments because of how real it sounds.
- Users might prefer the AI to actual human interaction.
- Users’ emotions might be manipulated because of how persuasive the voice is.
- Users might be fooled into thinking that the voice is a real person (and more scary stuff).
Watch this 4-minute clip of me working with ChatGPT to create an intro for my sessions. It’s fascinating!
Stages of Surprise: Getting Therapy from ChatGPT
You’ll find dozens (hundreds?) of AI counseling tools out there, but I wanted to see what ChatGPT could do. So I spent about an hour in “therapy” to see if it helped.
And, I’m very surprised to say, it did. Here are the stages I went through during our “talk.”
- Stage One: Skepticism
Since this was an experiment and not a real attempt to get therapy, I was pretty skeptical to start off. My tone was one of boredom when I started off:
- Stage Two: Exploration
The way “he” asked questions intrigued me, and I found myself diving in more than I thought.
- Stage Three: Full-On Info Dump
“He” just seemed so interested in me. “He” was listening so intently. I was there for it and opened the floodgates to spill my guts. For several minutes, the conversation was pretty one-sided.
- Stage Four: Action
We went through several rounds of me letting it all out and “him” listening and reflecting patiently. And then “he” worked to direct the conversation:
- Stage Five: Inquiry
At the end of the personal part, I had actually carried out one of the ideas that “he” gave me, and it really did ease tension. Looking back, I can’t even remember who came up with the idea, but it definitely manifested because of our conversation. It was creepy.
But truthfully I wasn’t doing this for counseling. I was doing it to see what AI counseling might be like. So after I had resolved my issue (I’m exaggerating… I have MANY, many issues!), I asked “him” about his counseling persona.
The Future of AI Counseling
I’ll be honest: Talking to this non-human helped get some of my thoughts out of my head, helped me take a step toward healing and left me with a sense of peace. I had expected it to be cheesy and hokey. But I more or less forgot that I wasn’t talking to a real person and just went with it.
Do I think the tool I used this week could replace real counselors? Not at all. Many of my friends and colleagues have formed valuable relationships with professionals who guide them through trauma, turmoil and troubles. I don’t see my ChatGPT buddy as a long-term resource for my mental health.
But it sure did help for easing the anxiety and pressure from a really crappy week, and I consider it a valuable experiment.
But here’s my caveat: My assessment is based on AI’s capabilities as of today. This technology is improving at a pace few could have imagined. Next year at this time, it may be so good that we’ll all be stretched out on digital couches talking to a robot.
What say you? Would you try an AI therapist?
Depending on the counseling need, sure. Sometimes, a sounding board is all we need to work through challenges. However, if the need comes from a deeper place of trauma or loss, I would tread lightly on trusting it to ensure long-term wellness for the person in need.
Absolutely agree. But for an immediate need, it was helpful just to dump it all out.
Would never use an A.I. therapist. I grew up on science fiction. I learned that A.I. is 3 of the 14 most likely scenarios for the end of humanity.
ha ha… I feel the same. The whole time, I’m thinking, “How many conversations is A.I. gathering and mulling over to generate these sorts of responses?” “Is she using her microphone?”, which brings in a whole ‘nother set of issues, not only of privacy, but A.I. generation of ‘people’ online.
How “Real” is “Reality TV” now? Soon, not one of Us (humans) will know if something we see on a screen (coming soon – Everywhere!!) is ‘Real’ or not, so you’d better get it straight (what you think Reality is) before that happens… they live. 🤠Yee haa!!!