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Los Angeles Times
22-07-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Doctors at Cedars-Sinai develop AI-powered mental health ‘robot' therapist
Misty Williams checks into the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from time to time for treatment of debilitating pain from sickle cell disease, which causes red blood cells to stiffen and block the flow of blood. After pain medication and hydration are ordered, the 41-year-old Los Angeles resident makes an unusual request: access to a virtual reality headset with an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot that can carry on a dialogue with her. With the headset on, Williams finds herself in a virtual garden, butterflies drifting around her. A humanoid robot greets her with a soothing female voice. 'Hi, and welcome. My name is Xaia, and I'm your mental health ally,' it says. 'How can I help?' After a session, Williams' pain eases and her mind is calmer. 'Mentally and physically, I feel more at peace,' Williams said. Xaia (pronounced ZAI-uh) is just one of many ways that artificial intelligence technology is barreling its way into the burgeoning sector known as digital health. Digital health startups using AI accounted for an estimated $3.9 billion in funding in 2024, or 38% of the sector's total, according to the digital health advisory firm Rock Health. Mental health was the top-funded clinical area, drawing $1.4 billion. Major medical institutions in Los Angeles are embracing the trend. UCLA Health is using AI to help doctors catch strokes faster, reduce hospital re-admissions and spend more time with patients by automating medical notes, said Paul Lukac, chief AI officer. Keck Medicine of USC plans to offer employees a commercial AI chat tool to support stress management, according to Dr. Steven Siegel, chief mental health and wellness officer. At Cedars-Sinai, Xaia — an acronym for eXtended-reality Artificially Intelligent Ally — was designed and programmed by Dr. Omer Liran, with ideas and research support from Dr. Brennan Spiegel and therapeutic input from clinical psychologist Robert Chernoff, in collaboration with the medical center's Technology Ventures. VRx Health, a for-profit company founded by Liran, holds an exclusive license from Cedars-Sinai to market Xaia commercially. Cedars-Sinai and several private investors hold equity in the company. A version like the one Misty Williams uses is available to the public via the Apple Vision virtual reality headsets for $19.99 a month. A VR version for the Meta headset is freely available only to researchers. A web and mobile version is accessible to licensed clinicians for tiered pricing between $99 and $399-plus per month, which allows them to invite patients to use the tool. Liran, a psychiatrist, said Xaia is designed to supplement, and not replace, the services of mental health therapists amid a national shortage of providers. 'Even if somebody needs to be seen once a week, they may only get seen once a month,' he said. The Xaia app draws from hundreds of therapy transcripts, both from real sessions and mock sessions created by experts to sound like an actual therapist. For example, if users tell Xaia they're struggling with a new cancer diagnosis, the robot might say, 'That must be very hard for you,' then ask how it's affecting their mood, and what they find themselves doing when they're overwhelmed. 'Trying to stay positive when things feel so heavy must take a lot of energy,' the chatbot says. 'When you notice yourself being pulled back into those difficult thoughts, what usually happens next? Do you find yourself withdrawing, or do you turn to anyone for support?' So far, Xaia has been used by about 300 patients across various research studies at Cedars-Sinai, including those focused on chronic pain, alcohol use disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome, said Spiegel, director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai. Many people with chronic illnesses also struggle with anxiety or depression, Spiegel said. Physical and emotional symptoms feed off each other, and tools like Xaia aim to help with both. The tool isn't covered by insurance yet, but billing codes for virtual reality therapy and digital health services do exist, and other hospitals like the Mayo Clinic are beginning to use them. VRx has an agreement to deploy Xaia at Mayo Clinic, according to VRx Chief Executive Gabe Zetter. Xaia isn't the only app of its kind. Woebot, a pioneering chatbot developed by psychologist Alison Darcy while at Stanford, used scripted conversations based on cognitive behavioral therapy to support users with anxiety and depression. Though it reached 1.5 million users, the company shut down the app in July. Darcy said the company is now focused on building new tools with large language models, since AI is moving faster than regulators like the Food and Drug Administration can keep up. In recent years, some emotional support chatbots have been blamed for deepening distress, including one incident in which a Florida teen died by suicide in 2024 after extended conversations with a chatbot. Such incidents underscore the risks of emotionally responsive AI tools, said Todd Essig, a psychologist and founder and co-chair of the American Psychoanalytic Assn.'s Council on Artificial Intelligence. 'Even after the most loving, empathic response, an AI doesn't care if you drive to the store or drive off a cliff,' Essig said. AI programs learn to mimic human responses, Essig said, so it's up to the people building them to set clear limits and ensure they don't cause harm. When built with ethical frameworks and used under clinical supervision, tools like Xaia can support genuine therapeutic progress, functioning more like digital journals — a modern twist on the paper workbooks given to patients decades ago, said Jodi Halpern, a professor of bioethics and medical humanities at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. But many emotional support chatbots that aren't clinically monitored are designed to mimic intimacy and build emotional bonds. 'People can experience the app as another,' Halpern said. 'But it's not actually giving them real-life experiences with other humans that are important for developing the healthy, mutually empathic curiosity that people need to participate in complex human relationships.' Halpern noted there is a difference between clinically approved mental health tools and those with no oversight. She and others are supporting a California bill sponsored by state Sen. Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista) that would require companies developing mental health chatbots or apps to disclose whether their tools are clinically validated, regulated by the FDA or rely on generative AI. Liran said he and his partners are aware of the limitations and have built in guardrails to keep the chatbot from saying anything harmful or inappropriate. For example, one arm of the AI generates the response, and another instantly double-checks it to make sure it's safe before letting it through to the user. 'We're not just opening it up to the public,' Liran said, pointing out that the guided therapy version on mobile and desktop is available only through a licensed clinician right now and Cedars is testing Xaia in multiple studies. 'We're trying to be very careful.' In a 14-person study, patients using Xaia with mild or moderate anxiety or depression opened up about a variety of topics, including a mother who passed away and fear of being laid off. For a patient who had been having night sweats since a breakup, Xaia asked to hear more about what made the relationship feel unresolved and how it affected the patient. Some of the patients still preferred the nuance and responsiveness of a human therapist, but the medical literature suggests patients are warming up to the idea of a nonhuman therapist. In a study published in PLOS Mental Health in February, participants were asked to compare responses written by licensed therapists and those generated by ChatGPT. Not only did many struggle to tell the difference, they consistently rated the AI's replies as more empathic, culturally sensitive and emotionally engaging. Xaia's creators see the tool as an extension of the patient-therapist relationship. It's the kind of thing that might be useful if someone needs mental health support in the middle of the night or between sessions. 'We still need therapists — humans — to look other humans in the eye to have conversations about vulnerable topics,' Spiegel said. At the same time, 'it's not practical to simply bury our head in the sand and say we shouldn't do this, because AI is everywhere,' he said. 'We'll be brushing our teeth with AI before long.'
GSM Arena
30-06-2025
- Business
- GSM Arena
Kuo shares detailed roadmap for Apple's smart glasses and next Vision headsets
Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a new roadmap forecast for Apple's Vision headsets and upcoming smart glasses. Apple is apparently going all-out on the smart glasses front with no less than four models being in development. The first will be a Ray-Ban Meta competitor with camera and video recording capabilities, speakers and a voice-controlled user interface and AI features. They are expected to enter mass production in Q2, 2027 and Kuo predicts Apple will reach 3–5 million unit shipments in 2027. The first-generation Apple glasses will offer several material finishes for the temples and frames. Apple's first smart glasses entry is also expected to raise demand for the smart glasses category across other brands, with the product category expected to reach 10 million shipments in 2027. Apple is also working on extended reality (XR) glasses with liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) displays, voice controls and gestures. These are expected to enter mass production in Q2 2028. Kuo also mentions an additional 'display accessory' pair of glasses that connect to an Apple device, including the iPhone. These were supposed to enter mass production in Q2, 2026, but are now paused for refinement. The Vision series of headsets is also getting new models with an updated Vision Pro equipped with the Apple M5 chipset to debut later this year. It will apparently begin mass production soon, in Q3 (July-September) and is expected to get a production run of 150,000 – 200,000 units. Apple is apparently not launching any new Vision device in 2026, but Kuo believes there are at least three new headsets in development, which are due to launch in 2027 and 2028. The Vision Air is expected to arrive in Q3, 2027, with a lightweight form factor that's 40% lighter than the Vision Pro (600-650 grams). It will be equipped with an 'iPhone-grade processor', a magnesium alloy chassis, fewer sensors and plastic optics all in the name of weight reduction. This version is expected to gain broader appeal among consumers and will naturally arrive with a lower starting price. The second-generation Vision Pro is expected to enter mass production in Q2, 2028 with a revamped design, new M-series chip all with a lighter design and less intimidating price tag. Source
News18
26-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Apple's AR Smart Glasses Could Launch In 2026: What We Can Expect
Last Updated: Apple is obsessed about competing with Meta in the smart glasses arena and its first product could roll out by next year. Apple's big AR push could now go into 2026 as new reports claim the company will bring its AR-powered smart glasses later next year. Apple is likely to keep things simple with these smart glasses and offer features that we have seen with the Meta Ray Ban smart glasses in the market. The report from Bloomberg, quoting an Apple employee, says the company is not likely to include this product in the Apple Vision lineup and have a new series for this category with toned-down AR features sprinkled with AI. The Apple AR smart glasses could be unveiled some time in late 2026 with the product available in the market by early 2027. Just like the Ray Ban glasses, Apple could adopt the same set of features to keep the price competitive. The device should have a camera and a mic so that you can record the surroundings and even enable music playback from the built-in speaker. However, Apple is tipped to add its own premium signature design and materials which will make it lightweight and easy to wear. The smart glasses are definitely coming into their own with the advent of AI and it seems Apple wants a big piece of this segment. Apple's CEO, Tim Cook is apparently obsessed with the product and more than AI, he is focused on making this device become a success. Apple clearly sees Meta as its closest rival in this space even though Google and Samsung have their own Android XR plans coming through later this year. But Cook is said to be making his mission to beat Meta with its own AR smart glasses. 'It's the only thing he's really spending his time on from a product development standpoint," an earlier Bloomberg report highlighted his interest. Google Glasses can rise again thanks to GenAI and the sudden popularity of this product. The Meta smart glasses come for around $250 (Rs 21,250 approx) which makes it far more accessible and appealing than the $3,299 priced Vision Pro headset. We are hoping that the company finds the right balance between its design, hardware and performance to deliver a product that not only excites the consumers but gives Apple some leverage in the market after its recent AI struggles. First Published: May 26, 2025, 10:25 IST
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Apple Is Developing Tech So Users Can Control Devices With Only Their Thoughts
Apple is boldly embracing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to enable users to control its devices using only their thoughts—a novel frontier for the company. Earlier this week, it was announced that the tech giant is working with Synchron, a company that has been pioneering BCI research and work for more than a decade. The company was founded by Dr. Tom Oxley, a neurointerventionalist and technologist. Synchron has developed a stent-like implant that can be inserted using a (relatively) minimally invasive procedure on an individual's motor cortex. The stent was reportedly granted FDA clearance for human trials in 2021, and works to detect brain signals and translate them into software-enabled relays; in the case of an Apple device, the relays can select icons on a iPhone or iPad. The video below shows a user's experience with Synchron's BCI in conjunction with the Apple Vision headset. Apple is working to establish the standards for BCI devices and protocolize what their use could look like across its device landscape. The company is expected to open up the technology and protocols to third-party developers in short order. Among the primary goals of BCI technology is to enable the millions of individuals worldwide that may have limited physical functions to use devices. For example, the World Health Organization reports that globally, over 15 million people are living with spinal cord injuries. Many of these individuals may experience some type of loss of physical or sensory functions over the course of their lifetimes. This is where BCIs can truly make a difference—enabling individuals to control electronic devices purely with their thoughts. In fact, reports indicate that the BCI industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.35% from 2025 to 2030 and has huge potential to become a trillion dollar market within the next decade. Undoubtedly, BCIs have become a popular topic of conversation in recent years, especially due to the significant amount of progress that has been made in the field. Notably, Elon Musk's Neuralink has been especially vocal about its immense success. The company is developing its own BCI technology stack with a visionary goal to 'create a generalized brain interface to restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs today and unlock human potential tomorrow.' Neuralink especially made waves when it released its 'Monkey MindPong' video (below), which showed a Macaque monkey playing the classic game of Pong and navigating the controller solely with its thoughts. Given that Synchron's interface is a stent-like device, the company has developed a minimally invasive procedure for its insertion. Neuralink has developed its own surgical robot to be able to implant its device with precision. Unsurprisingly, these procedures are incredibly complex and require immense technical proficiency and medical expertise. Therefore, all of this work, despite the promising potential and results, is ultimately dependent on government approval and oversight, pending the clearance of numerous safety and reliability tests. Furthermore, a significant amount of work still needs to be done with regards to the long-term efficacy of this technology as well as its impacts on the physical body. However, if done correctly, millions of individuals stand to potentially benefit from this revolutionary technology.
