AI chat therapy presents a scalable, low-cost supplement to traditional psychotherapy, with studies indicating modest reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms (Kuhaila et al., 2025; Spytska, 2025). Its continuous availability and structured conversational style make it particularly useful for populations facing barriers to conventional care, including geographic isolation or therapy aversion (Spytska, 2025).
Despite these benefits, AI lacks the adaptive emotional depth of human clinicians, limiting its utility for complex or acute presentations. Ophir et al. (2025) emphasized concerns regarding the appropriate interpretation of the available evidence.
Recent comparative analyses indicated that mental health therapists could not identify the difference between transcripts of AI chatbot and human therapist sessions. The findings suggest a role for AI chatbots in providing symptom relief (Kuhail et al., 2025).
Evidence from Hatch et al. (2025) is promising for a role for AI chat therapy in mental health services.
I suggest, AI chat platforms may be best positioned as transitional or supplemental tools for journaling, mood tracking, and psychoeducation, rather than primary sources of care. More extensive use of AI chat therapy requires additional research. As Hatch et al. (2025) comment, these AI chat models will need to be expertly trained and supervised by experienced clinicians (Sutton, 2025, July 22).
References
Hatch SG, Goodman ZT, Vowels L, Hatch HD, Brown AL, Guttman S, et al. (2025) When ELIZA meets therapists: A Turing test for the heart and mind. PLOS Ment Health 2(2): e0000145. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000145
Kuhail, M. A., Alturki, N., Thomas, J., Alkhalifa, A. K., & Alshardan, A. (2024). Human-Human vs Human-AI Therapy: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 41(11), 6841–6852. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2385001
Ophir, Y., Tikochinski, R., Elyoseph, Z., Efrati, Y., & Rosenberg, H. (2025). Balancing promise and concern in AI therapy: A critical perspective on early evidence from the MIT–OpenAI RCT. Frontiers in Medicine, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2025.1612838
Spytska, L. (2025). The use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy: Development of intelligent therapeutic systems. BMC Psychology, 13, Article 175. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02491-9
Sutton, G. W. (2025, July 22). AI chat therapy. Psychology Concepts and Theories. https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2025/07/ai-chat-therapy.html
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Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. His website is https://suttong.com
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