Digital mental health companies raised record-breaking capital during the coronavirus pandemic, offering therapy and medication to people desperate for help during lockdown. Now, some of the largest providers in that space, including Talkspace and Lyra Health, face a new challenge: integrating generative AI chatbots into their clinical portfolios.
The companies say the technology has become too popular and offers too many advantages for them to ignore. Demand for therapists and psychologists has outstripped the available professionals in recent years, leaving people to fill the void with on-demand chatbots that are cheaper and available via a few clicks on a phone. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has already reached an eye-popping 800 million weekly users, with many leaning on the device for emotional support.
“It’s fast, it’s private, and it’s there at 3 a.m,” said Mark Frank, CEO of virtual and in-person therapy services provider SonderMind, about the rising popularity of chatbots.
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