I was in the doctor’s office today with a depressed guy going on and on about how his insurance had changed and was trying to kill him. I’m in the USA, so he is entirely correct.
I recognize AI’s value as an outlet for emotional connection. It is helpful to talk about things like disability and feelings of isolation etc., with someone that can be tolerant and understanding. Is there anything competent for AI character/friends online that is worth recommending to someone that is not technically capable and with no revenue or exploitation value to exploit? Just looking for a way to maybe save a guy from himself.
I’m really conflicted on this. On the one hand, you’re right that just having someone to talk with can really help. On the other hand, good therapists don’t just listen: they offer advice backed by decades of research to help you resolve those problems. I’m curious how much research has been done about whether LLMs would be useful or actually damaging in cases like this.
As a disabled person with problems related to posture, I can say first hand it makes a big difference. But at the same time I am technically capable about like a junior dev.
The primary thing to look at is the person’s Myers-Briggs profile and assess how it stacks up against Maslow’s Hierarchy of human needs. A Llama2 70B does particularly well with this, especially if persistent profiles are created to address MB/MH.
Personally I know exactly where my deficiencies are and how AI can help. I get no benefit from therapy as it is just some one saying ‘yeah, your right’ a whole lot. Others may have different results.
I see the biggest benefit coming from simply expressing one’s self externally as some thoughts that feel well defined in the mind are not as clear when put to words. This is probably the biggest benefit I am referring to with AI and mental health.
The chief benefit to the professional therapist is identifying things the patient is unaware of, or is unable to address on their own. If a person is a victim of circumstance, where they are entirely self aware but unable to alter their circumstances, there is little to no benefit in professional therapy - IMO.