"The potential of AI transforming from a tool to a full-fledged companion was recently explored in a randomised controlled trial published in NEJM.AI. Researchers tested a GenAI chatbot called Therabot, built specifically for mental health support. Unlike ChatGPT, which is a general-purpose tool, Therabot was fine-tuned using over 100,000 hours of therapist-patient dialogue grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy.
Over 100 participants in the US, with conditions like depression, generalised anxiety, or high-risk eating disorders were made to interact with the chatbot daily for four weeks, and the results were striking. Participants who used Therabot reported an average 51 per cent reduction in depression symptoms. Those with anxiety saw a 31pc decrease, and people with disordered eating patterns also experienced measurable improvements. On top of that, users reported a sense of therapeutic alliance — which is the bond of trust, understanding, and collaboration between a therapist and their client — comparable to real-life outpatient therapy."
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