What I Learned Last Week #32: The Mental Health Issue
Three US states ban AI-assisted mental health therapy. People use AI to guide psychedelic trips, create new psychedelics, to cope with ADHD, or improve their focus with an AI Socratic Questioner.
I have a hard time keeping up to date with everything new in AI, and sometimes feel that my newsletters are a goulash of unrelated things. That’s why I am trying a new format, where I try to focus on a specific topic that is of interest over a longer period.
Two weeks ago, the topic was job hunting. This week, I share some interesting reads (some already posted a while ago) on the topic of mental health using AI. It was all triggered by recent news of three US states banning AI-assisted therapy, which made me curious to dig deeper and revisit some of the articles I loved.
Curious to hear your perspective, if you have any!
Three US States Ban Mental Health AI Tools
Illinois became the third state to ban therapists from using AI chatbots for mental health treatment. The major concerns are safety and AI’s inability to provide proper care. Unregulated chatbots can dangerously mislead some users and create more harm. The other side of the debate says that there is a push from mental health professionals who are concerned about AI coming too soon for their jobs. Read more →
AI Is Changing How We Treat Mental Health
New deep learning breakthroughs could revolutionize mental health by mapping symptoms in new ways, predicting disorders before they worsen, and supporting clinicians with AI-assisted interviews. Mental health care is already the #1 most frequent use of ChatGPT and other similar tools. Read more →
AI Creates Psychedelics Without the Hallucination Trip
Mindstate Design Labs is developing psychedelic-like drugs that deliver mental health benefits without the intense hallucinations. Their lead candidate safely produces psychoactive effects that enhance perception and mood. This novel approach aims to make psychedelics safer and more accessible for treating anxiety and mood disorders. Read more →
AI Chatbots Are Helping People Navigate Psychedelic Trips
Some people are trying AI-powered apps to guide their psychedelic trips, with personalized, free guidance and support. There are risks, since AI can’t fully replace the nuanced care of human therapists, but this is a way the new tech could reshape mental health, or at least recreational adventures. Read more →
Are AI Conversations Fueling Psychosis?
“AI Psychosis” is a new term used to describe a set of symptoms in patients who exhibit delusions after long chats with AI bots. While doctors say it oversimplifies complex symptoms, the real concern is how AI might amplify distorted beliefs in vulnerable people. Read more →
AI Helps Manage ADHD
The news is often flooded with alarmist studies of people’s cognitive abilities being worsened by frequent AI use. But many people who are neurodivergent benefit immensely from AI tools in their life and work. For people with ADHD, they are a life-changer when it comes to time management, impulse control, reducing overwhelm, and improving personal productivity. Read more →
How to Build a Socratic AI Thinking Partner
On a more practical note,
has created a thinking partner with AI and shared his process and prompts. Discover his approach to turning AI into a Socratic Questioner, which helped him ditch the overwhelm, find clarity, and focus on what really matters. Read more →