BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of the way people seek information, advice and emotional support, raising questions about how the technology can help — and where it may fall short.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in February found that 10% of U.S. adults say they have used AI chatbots for emotional support or advice. Among adults ages 18 to 29, that figure rises to 20%.

The survey also found that 4% of U.S. adults have used chatbots for companionship.

For people developing AI tools specifically for mental health, the distinction between using AI as a resource and treating it as a replacement for human care is important.

Licensed counselor Stephanie Levitt, who works with an AI mental-health platform, said the technology can provide support between appointments.

“I think that it can be very helpful as a tool in between sessions as long as people realize that it’s not going to replace a therapist, it’s never going to replace a therapist,” said Levitt.

The concern grows when users begin to view AI as a friend or become dependent on the interaction.

Scott Enrico, co-founder of AI Powered Therapist LLC, said people can turn to AI to fill a sense of loneliness or connection.

“I can understand how somebody can actually use these AI agents, chat bots to like, be their friend or fill that missing void and then all of a sudden become reliant on it,” said Enrico.

Mental health professionals also caution against relying on AI during a crisis.

Sherrard Crespo said AI can have a role in mental health, but it should not replace human intervention when someone needs immediate help.

“There is a space for AI, of course, everywhere in the world and even in mental health. But it is not the space for your suicide intervention, crisis intervention, meaning that type of human connection, type of intervention,” said Crespo.

AI platforms are also being designed to work alongside human therapists rather than replace them.

Enrico said his platform can identify patterns in a user’s interactions and bring those patterns to the attention of the person’s therapist.

“When it recognizes patterns like that, it also brings it to the attention to that therapist,” said Enrico. “And that gives that therapist an idea on how to actually direct that next client.”

The growing use of AI for emotional support comes as Americans continue to weigh the technology’s impact on their mental health. A separate Pew Research Center survey conducted in June found that adults who believe chatbots help or hurt people using them for loneliness or depression are more likely to say the technology hurts than helps.

For now, mental health professionals and AI developers agree on one point: The technology may serve as a tool, but it does not replace the human relationship at the center of mental health care.

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