What happens when people use AI chatbots as their therapist, confide in them, and seek explanations for their personal problems, or even advice? How do our minds respond differently when the support we seek comes from code rather than a human connection? How would the code respond differently or similarly when compared to a human therapist? And, in a time where mental health becomes more of a crisis and yet so many can't bring themselves to talk about it with other people, what's next as this trend continues? Is this dangerous or beneficial?

 

In this session, we’ll unpack one of today’s most urgent and fascinating mental-health questions: whether AI can truly support us emotionally, and where its limits begin. Hosted by a chief psychological counsellor with firsthand experience guiding patients who already use AI for therapeutic support, this discussion goes far beyond hype or fear. It’s a thoughtful, evidence-based look at a trend reshaping how people manage stress, loneliness, anxiety, and self-reflection in an age when mental health concerns are rising worldwide.

 

Together, we’ll explore the real possibilities: greater accessibility, anonymity, immediate availability, as well as the real dangers, from emotional oversimplification to harmful misunderstandings and over-reliance. Let's compare the subtleties of human empathy with the precision (and blind spots) of machine feedback, and consider what a “hybrid future” of therapy might look like. This isn’t about defending jobs or rejecting technology; it’s about understanding the psychological realities of a fast-growing phenomenon that impacts all of us, whether we use AI or not. Let's have a smart, fascinating and necessary discussion with an expert!

 

当人们把AI聊天机器人当成心理治疗师，向它倾诉、寻求解释甚至要建议的时候，会发生什么？当我们寻求的支持来自一段代码，而不是一个有温度的人，我们的大脑会有什么不一样的反应？而这些代码的回应，又会在哪些地方和人类治疗师相似或不同？在如今心理健康压力越来越大，却又有那么多人不愿意真正开口跟别人聊的时代，这股趋势接下来会走向哪里？它是危险的，还是有益的？

 

在这节课里，我们会拆解一个当下非常紧迫、也非常有意思的心理健康议题：AI到底能不能真正提供情绪支持？它的边界又在哪？课程由一位长期接触使用AI做心理支持的来访者的首席心理咨询师主持，讨论不会停留在AI焦虑或科技狂热，而是基于实际经验与数据，去看看这个趋势是如何改变人们处理压力、孤独、焦虑、自我反思的方式。

 

我们会一起讨论真实的可能性：更高的可及性、匿名性、随时找得到人……也会谈真正的风险，比如情绪被过度简化、被误导、以及过度依赖。我们会比较人类的共情和机器的精准反馈（以及它的盲区），也会想象“人机混合”式治疗的未来可能长什么样。这不是为了保住行业，也不是为了捧科技，而是为了理解一个正在影响所有人的心理现实，不管你用不用AI。让我们跟专家一起聊一场有深度、有脑洞、也很有必要的讨论吧。