.png?trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200%3A800&ssl=1 "‘It will never be an emotional substitute’: Readers on whether AI can replace human therapy")
‘It will never be an emotional substitute’: Readers on whether AI can replace human therapy
Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Lauran Ware’s experiment using ChatGPT as a therapist has divided Independent readers, prompting a debate about the role of AI in mental health support. Many agreed with the article’s central argument: AI cannot replicate human connection. Several readers argued that, without emotions or lived experience, chatbots can offer practical advice but will always fall short of genuine empathy or relational depth. For them, therapy is as much about being understood as it is about problem-solving. Others, however, highlighted AI’s strengths. Some noted that chatbots can draw on vast bodies of psychological knowledge, sometimes exceeding what individual therapists have read, and can provide useful insights or summaries on demand. A few described using AI as a “sounding board” – valuing its objectivity, privacy and ability to clarify complex thoughts without judgement. Accessibility emerged as a key theme. Readers pointed out that AI could offer support to those …
