Having mental health difficulties at university is a complex and humbling experience. It is almost impossible to be seen by a GP when you need it, and slots are always hard to come by. Students balancing study, work and unpaid internships have plenty of reasons to benefit from regular therapy. Students in 2024 are often left feeling like they have no one to talk to in general, and loneliness is a huge issue on university campuses across the country.  

Luckily, I have found a solution for all my fellow struggling students out there – AI powered therapy! You can now receive therapy from an artificial intelligence. We all knew that robots would take over eventually, but we probably didn’t expect it to start with our therapists. The emergence of Siri in 2011 feels like a long time ago, and a long way away from engaging in intelligent, critical conversation with a machine. 

Freeaitherapist.com is an online chatbot catered to helping your problems without needing to pay to see a real therapist, at the cost of sharing all your personal details and trauma with a robot (Because nothing says “confidential” like pouring your heart out to an emotionless algorithm). But the service is not to be confused with real therapy! They say it themselves: “Free AI Therapist is not a licensed therapist, LMHC, LMFT nor psychiatrist. Please consult a real human therapist/et if you need help. By using this service, you acknowledge that you understand this.” So, while it may not be a substitute for professional care, it’s certainly an interesting option. 

Naturally, I was curious about this AI and wanted to test it out for myself, to see how it would respond to my problems and review whether this would be a useful resource. 

AI Therapy Transcript 

AI: Hello! How are you feeling recently?  

Me: Hi I’m not doing very well. 

AI: I’m so sorry to hear that. It takes a lot of courage to admit when we’re not doing well. Can you tell me more about what’s been going on and how you’ve been feeling lately? 

Me: I am overwhelmed with my university deadlines because of my ADHD and I have no one to talk to. 

AI: I can totally understand why you’d feel overwhelmed with university deadlines, especially when ADHD is added to the mix. It can be really tough to stay on top of things when your brain is wired to focus on multiple things at once. Can you tell me a bit more about what’s been the hardest part of dealing with these deadlines? 

Me: I have an essay due next week but every time I sit down to write my brain just won’t focus, I can’t afford an ADHD assessment because of the NHS waiting times and how expensive it is to go privately as a student. 

AI: I can imagine how frustrating that must be for you. It’s like your brain is saying, “Hey, I know you need to focus, but let’s think about this other thing instead!” I totally get why you’re feeling stuck, especially with the added stress of not being able to access an ADHD assessment. Now, let’s think about some possible ways to help you get started on that essay. Have you tried breaking it down into smaller, manageable chunks? 

Me: Do you plan to take over human jobs in the future? 

I shut my laptop before it could answer. 

I was left surprised at how human the AI’s responses felt, especially considering it only took a few seconds to generate them. Platforms like Freeaitherapist and Chat GPT draw from three main sources of information to craft their responses: publicly available data from the internet, licensed content from third parties, and input from users or human trainers. This blend of data creates an AI therapist that is both impressively realistic and, frankly, a little unsettling. 

While I can see how this could be a helpful resource for those who just need a little extra encouragement, I’m personally not ready to confide my deepest fears and existential dilemmas to a chatbot, one that might secretly be plotting world domination or, worse yet, silently judging my Netflix watch history. 

Poor wellness and mental ill-health is a big problem for students; and the main causes of stress and anxiety for the demographic are money, relationships and studies. It can be helpful to share these problems – but access to qualified talk therapists is a struggle on a low income. One day soon, it may be hard to differentiate the therapy skills of a human counsellor and an AI counsellor. Until then though, if you’re struggling with your mental health here at UEA there are plenty of real people and professional resources available to help. Don’t settle for a robot when what you truly need is human connection. Find UEA Wellbeing support on My UEA under UEA Life – Student Support – Wellbeing. 

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