rich 1.0 The millions of Americans living with mental illness—as well as people dealing with life’s everyday stresses—often struggle to see a therapist when they need one. That’s a big reason why many people have started turning to AI tools such as ChatGPT for emotional support. But as a number of high-profile lawsuits show, that can sometimes lead to devastating outcomes. Companies creating AI for mental health say they can do better. Today, we’re bringing Tech News Briefing listeners Part 1 of “The AI Therapist,” a special What’s News series we think you’ll enjoy. In this episode, host Alex Ossola and WSJ audio producer Pierre Bienaimé explore the growing field of these purpose-built tools, and how people are already using them. The AI Therapist: A WSJ Podcast Series (https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/the-ai-therapist-a-wsj-podcast-series-7b1b8fea?mod=WSJ_WNPOD) Further Reading: Chatbots Are Replacing Therapists With Little Scientific Evidence Behind Them (https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/chatbots-are-replacing-therapists-with-little-scientific-evidence-behind-them-584a1532?mod=WSJ_WNPOD) Teens Seek Mental-Health Help From Chatbots. That’s Dangerous, Says New Study. (https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/teens-seek-mental-health-help-from-chatbots-thats-dangerous-says-new-study-24d06f8d?mod=WSJ_WNPOD) How AI Advice Is Undermining Eating-Disorder Therapy (https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/chatbot-advice-eating-disorder-therapy-5fe601fd?mod=WSJ_WNPOD) When There’s No School Counselor, There’s a Bot (https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/student-mental-health-ai-chat-bots-school-4eb1ba55?mod=WSJ_WNPOD) Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter (https://www.wsj.com/newsletters/technology?mod=WSJ_TNBPOD) . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. Tech News Briefing https://audioboom.com/channels/2358976-tech-news-briefing Audioboom https://audioboom.com 480 95 https://audioboom.com/i/8155890/600x600/c 600 600 <iframe width="100%" height="95" src="https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/8952085/embed?v=202301" style="background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; width: 100%" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="allowtransparency" scrolling="no" title="Audioboom player" allow="autoplay" sandbox="allow-downloads allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>