Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

The "talking cure" can't really be a talking cure without human interaction, the work a psychologist does is based on transference and countertransference, a machine cannot mimick such dynamic because it is fundamentally a human phenomenon.

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an extremely rapid pace. As depicted in the film "Her," I hypothesize that in the not-too-distant future, it will be indistinguishable whether one is conversing with an AI or another human being.

I also think that an AI, with sufficient data at its disposal, could be capable of offering satisfactory psychotherapy sessions. These sessions would likely be technical and protocol-driven. On the other hand, it is currently believed that the main therapeutic factor is the psychic interaction between the two human beings, beyond the protocol dimension.

This is an extremely delicate issue that concerns me greatly.

How can a computer talk to a human about emotions and the human experience?

Yes, AI is wonderful to validate you and help you understand complex dynamics. I am a therapist and my clients bring in their responses from AI and we go over them at times. However, part of the work I do is about trauma, and people need empathy, understanding, compassion, and way to be heard. Even though I do feel validated by ChatGPT at times, and it is a wonderful and useful tool, it has its limitations. Perhaps in the future we will all be replaced, but in the meantime there is a reason why none of my clients want to do Telehealth and want to sit on my couch and make eye contact with me....that to me is telling.

No matter how much information is fed to a machine about psychology and psychological studies, the machine will never be able to truly understand such a thing as human emotion. Therefore, AI could never take the place of human psychologists.

AI can write something or listen to your complaints, but it won't use a precise and highly effective approach. Most importantly, it lacks and will never have human empathy.

Because this job requires a human element that gives off understanding and a certain feeling that Ai could never replicate

Psychologist mainly deal with experiences that would involve using or focusing on emotions and this is something that is able to happen only through complex biological responses that only animals or humans have, and I believe cannot be replicated

no ai can mimic human emotion

I don't think a robot could ever replace a human in understanding and experiencing emotions. It is one of the very few things that is uniquely human.

Therefore, because this is essential to being a psychologist, I think if AI were ever to replace humans as psychologists, they would not do the job in a similar way.

However, there may be some benefit to seeking help online, through courses, and general emotional support, etc.

If I needed psychological help, I wouldn't want to talk to a program or machine...

This is impossible. Robots don't have feelings.

Because there is an element that makes therapy work, which is highlighted as the most important in each and every effectiveness study, and it has to do with the quality of the therapist-patient relationship. I believe it's difficult to create that bond with a robot or AI, and even if it can be simulated, knowing that on the other side there is an entity that is not a fellow human changes everything. Or at least changes a lot.

i think the job need understanding if emotion and empathetic nature towards dealing with the issues of other which can not be possible with a ai or robot

I am a Psychologist and I already saw this year patient of mine choosing to follow her treatmen with chat gpt.
I spoke with chat gpt and he is very good in analising and giving solutions, so I believe this is going to happen in the future

Very much derives it's effects from therapeutic alliance, empathy, understanding - its about insights, sure, but a lot of it is about the human connection. But I could be wrong - maybe that can be simulated very effectively

An ai can give a completely unbiased diagnosis-treatment /*with out the risk of personal feelings involved*/ but it can never take over the job unless it can have an understanding of "human" as a whole(which is kinda impossible),cause it would make it better that any human doing the job.

Therapy usually requires talking and it's very personal so there's literally no way robots would be able to take this job

I think that there are some factors that stand in the way of automation, such as morals, religions, fear of losing jobs, politics, and economics.

It will be fairly easy to replace therapists with AI within 2 decades. AI will be far more effective with the access to databases including billions of real-life cases as well as intelligence regarding all possible methods and approaches. It will be like having a psychologist with an expertise of all psychologists in the world.
However, this will not happen very soon. First, a new generation that is not hostile towards AI (e.g. did not lose jobs because of it, uses it on daily basis, and experienced positive impact of it mostly) must dominate the population. It will take about 20 years, I'm sure, before most of psychologists will lose jobs and some people will only be needed to supervise the AI.