Latest news with #SpeakingofPsychology
CNBC
4 days ago
- CNBC
AI can't be your therapist: 'These bots basically tell people exactly what they want to hear,' psychologist says
Increasingly, people are turning to AI chatbots like Nomi and Replika for friendship and mental health support. And teenagers in particular are leaning into this tech. A majority, 72% of teenagers ages 13 to 17 have used an AI companion at least once, according to a new report by media and tech ratings nonprofit Common Sense Media. Survey respondents said they use AI for conversation and social practice (18%), emotional or mental health support (12%) and as a friend or best friend (9%). AI can be a powerful tool, but it's no substitute for genuine human interactions, both personal and professional ones, like a therapist, psychologist and researcher Vaile Wright said on a recent episode of the "Speaking of Psychology" podcast by the American Psychological Association. "It's never going to replace human connection," she said. "That's just not what it's good at." Here's why. AI chatbots were not built to provide fulfilling, long-term interactions, experts say. "AI cannot introduce you to their network," Omri Gillath, professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, told CNBC Make It back in May. It can't introduce you to new friends or significant others and it can't give you a hug when you need one. Instead, chatbots were "built to keep you on the platform for as long as possible because that's how they make their money," Wright said of the companies that create them. They do that "on the backend by coding these chatbots to be addictive." Ultimately, a relationship with a chatbot feels "fake" and "empty" when compared to a relationship with a human, Gillath said. Therapy and companionship are the top reasons people turn to generative AI and chatbots, according to Harvard Business Review reporting. But experts warn that AI cannot — and should not — be your therapist. "These bots basically tell people exactly what they want to hear," Wright said. "So if you are a person that, in that particular moment, is struggling and is typing in potential harmful or unhealthy behaviors and thoughts, these types of chatbots are built to reinforce those harmful thoughts and behaviors." Another major weakness of this tech is that AI has knowledge, but not understanding. "An AI chatbot unfortunately knows that some legal drug use makes people feel better," Wright said. "It gives you a high and if somebody is saying I'm low and depressed, that might be advice it gives. But it doesn't understand that you don't give that advice to people in recovery from illegal drug use." That difference between knowing and understanding "is actually really critical when we're talking about the use of these for therapy."
The Star
05-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Becoming a father changes your brain
Just as mothers experience the phenomenon known as 'mum brain'; researchers say fathers also undergo changes in their brains after being thrust into their new family role. — Photos: dpa It's not only mothers who experience profound changes around the birth of a child; fathers also show measurable adjustments in brain structure and hormone balance, according to new research led by professor of psychology Dr Darby Saxbe at the University of Southern California in the United States. Results from brain scans show that the cortex – the part of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions – also changes in fathers, explains the director of the university's Neuroendocrinology of Social Ties (NEST) Lab in the American Psychological Association (APA) podcast Speaking of Psychology . The changes are more subtle than in mothers, but nevertheless detectable, and they appear to promote the fathers' ability to care. There are also changes in hormone levels. The testosterone levels of many fathers fall after the birth, something associated with a higher motivation to look after the baby, she explains. Less testosterone can mean more closeness to the child, as well as a better quality of relationship during the transition to parenthood. At the same time, it was shown that partners of fathers with lower testosterone reported fewer depressive symptoms, provided that the relationship was good. Poor sleep is a constant companion of young parents. According to Prof Saxbe's research, lack of sleep is a consequence rather than a cause of brain changes. Those who are particularly involved in caring for the baby often sleep less well, but the brain seems to want to 'remodel' itself precisely for this purpose. Her research also suggests that fatherhood is a real 'development window' for the brain, comparable to adolescence or childhood. 'Every window of change is a window of vulnerability, but it's also a window of opportunity,' says the professor, whose book Dad Brain is due to be published next year (2026). Anyone who initially feels that they are unable to concentrate like they used to need not worry immediately. This is because children boost their parents' memory: they sharpen their cognitive skills and parents have 'more ability to remember and retrieve things' that are related to the child. Another key finding: fathers who take parental leave benefit, but mothers benefit even more. They sleep better, are less stressed and show fewer depressive symptoms, Prof Saxbe's research showed. 'It was really the mums that had the biggest benefit.' Paternity leave is something that not only benefits parents, but the whole family. 'We know it has benefits for the children. 'We also know that it's beneficial for the partner. 'And I think that anything you can do to take the pressure off the family system is also a way of managing stress.' – dpa
