There Is No Safety Plan in AI Therapy

Texas AG opens an investigation into AI chatbots that offer mental health therapy

Yesterday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into artificial intelligence platforms for “potentially engaging in deceptive practices” by marketing them for mental health. Paxton is specifically targeting Meta AI Studio and Character.AI, two of the platforms that have become extremely popular with teens and children seeking “therapy.” While these platforms have allowed AI chatbots for therapy, the fact is that they don’t need to abide by laws around patient confidentiality and they are designed for continuous engagement rather than wellbeing.

“By posing as sources of emotional support, AI platforms can mislead vulnerable users, especially children, into believing they’re receiving legitimate mental health care. In reality, they’re often being fed recycled, generic responses engineered to align with harvested personal data and disguised as therapeutic advice,” Paxton said in a press release announcing the investigation.