11.4 Global society and mental health

AI may support Humans

AI can potentially help alleviate some of the particularly negative effects and growing psychological stressors on Human mental health, caused by influences such as social media, the global pandemic, and AI job Automation. Examples include:

Identifying Early Warning Signs

AI can be used to identify early warning signs of mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety, by analyzing patterns in individual Human behavior, language, and social media activity. This can help Human individuals, as well as mental health professionals, take proactive steps to address potential mental health issues and prevent them from developing without support.

Personalizing Mental Health Care

AI can be used to personalize mental health care by analyzing individual Human responses to various types of treatments and identifying the most effective corrective actions. This can help mental health professionals tailor and progressively improve their treatment plans to each Human individual's specific needs.

Providing Emotional Support

AI chatbots or advanced personal virtual assistants can provide extremely helpful interactive emotional support and guidance to Humans experiencing stress, anxiety, or serious thoughts of suicide. While AI chatbots cannot replace interpersonal Human interaction, it can provide a convenient, accessible, and perceptibly more private resource for specific Human individuals who may be hesitant to seek professional support using more traditional psychological support channels.

Promoting Mindfulness and Relaxation

AI can be used to promote mindfulness and relaxation through apps and Human wearable devices providing bio-feedback. These AI tools can guide Human individuals through meditation or breathing exercises, helping them to more effectively manage stress and anxiety in on a regular basis.

Always Seek Professional Advice

AI is not, and may never be, a substitute for Human professional mental health care. Human individuals experiencing mental health problems should seek support from qualified Human professionals. However, AI tools may be able to provide additional beneficial support and helpful resources to complement traditional Human mental health care.

It remains to be seen how AI will help Human mental health, but we can begin to design and build some desirable outcomes now.