Artificial Intelligence - Good for Mental Health?

What happens when we have some time to spare in our day?

For many people, it is time to scroll through Instagram or peruse some other social media.  Some people love to read something more substantial, and we face the debate of whether we want the old-fashioned tactile experience of a paper book or whether we use an App on our iPhone or iPad.  Most of us like to read something regardless of how it exists. People like to read little bits of news or get into a story that will keep them going for a few days or weeks.  Entering into another world is usually a break from the world around us.  It can feel really good to explore realities that are maybe different from our own. As a child, I was an avid reader.  I loved mystery books, and today I enjoy a good Scandinavian thriller adapted for Netflix.  I find the stories can be well-developed. The characters are colourful and usually have many flaws, but the whole combination of them makes for great entertainment.  I like visual things, either reading or watching.  Without the visual, the audio is not as interesting for me.  But what else do people seek when they have free time?  Is it just a story?  Or is it in some way an opportunity to see what others are thinking and feeling, or a chance to see how other people do things? We are social creatures.  We like to be in touch with others.  This can be in real life or in some other medium, such as through social media, literature and TV/Streaming.

Does Artificial Intelligence have a role to play in how we relax?

There is a fear for many that AI is the death of many things. People ask it for summaries of books or movies and they move on to the next thing they are interested without ever reading or watching programs. But is that true? While some people may never engage with the real sources, there are others who do and there are ways  for them to use AI and gain even more insights.  For example, if you read an article and consider it and then ask AI for its key points, it may present you with perspectives you never considered. It is not a bad thing to have other angles from which to consider something.  Not everyone has the time or access to a local book club.  Not everyone has a friend who wants or likes the same entertainment material.  AI can be a good thing for us to engage with as long as we still use reason to discern what it is that we are reading.

Can AI build upon the insights we may gain in Counselling?

Yes.  There are so many Apps that have mental health as their focus.  Using them in tandem with a flesh-and-blood counsellor would be advisable. While chatbots are becoming common, nothing can replace the interpretation and wisdom of interacting with a real person.  But a counsellor will not always be available at every moment.  There are times when it could be helpful to explore some insights into a situation with the help of AI. For example, seeking inspirational quotes or songs for any given mood or asking for a poem to be created to soothe your soul in the moment.  As we have seen from times past, all of the wonderful interventions in life usually come with positives and negatives.  I think it is very cool when we can all embrace the great aspects of technology and realize that it is there for us in the here and now.  What we do with it and how we embrace it is up to us.  Check out some AI apps with the consideration that they have been developed for us and are continually being improved.  They can provide whole new worlds for us, just as books did when we were children.  But if anything about AI is bothering you, let's connect and chat about it.  There are legitimate concerns about its use in a variety of things, but there are also very innovative advancements that are exciting when embraced.  Counselling in real time with a real person still exists. Set up a session with me and let's explore your thoughts on this topic.