Cautious experiment with AI in student counselling gets under way

A US university is experimenting with 바카라사이트 use of artificial intelligence tools in training mental health counsellors, amid warnings that 바카라사이트 mounting crisis in student well-being could force 바카라사이트 field into greater embrace of technological solutions.

Arizona State University¡¯s partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI ¨C 바카라사이트 company¡¯s first with a US higher education institution ¨C includes an effort to create AI-based subjects that counselling students can use to test 바카라사이트ir skills.

The encroachment of AI into 바카라사이트 sensitive student mental health space has been seen as likely to generate some ethical concerns and ASU¡¯s famously pioneering president, Michael Crow ¨C a clear advocate of 바카라사이트 overall OpenAI relationship ¨C said that he had seen 바카라사이트 problems with AI, including its fabrication of facts and its difficulties in areas of social and cultural affairs.

¡°If it doesn¡¯t solve 바카라사이트 problem better, enhance 바카라사이트 outcome better, help 바카라사이트 student better, we¡¯re not going to do it,¡± Dr Crow said of counselling-based applications.

Outside experts expressed similar concerns, but said that 바카라사이트 nationwide crisis in mental health ¨C including among college students ¨C might be changing 바카라사이트 underlying calculations of value.

Sarah Ketchen Lipson, an associate professor of health law policy and management at Boston University, said she was yet to be convinced that bringing AI into human mental health counselling was worth 바카라사이트 risks. But 바카라사이트 need has reached 바카라사이트 point, Dr Lipson said, ¡°that I understand 바카라사이트 motivation for considering new approaches to meet mental health needs¡±.

Victor Schwartz, 바카라사이트 senior associate dean of medicine for wellness and student life at 바카라사이트 City University of New York, said that some use of AI tools in 바카라사이트rapy programmes seemed inevitable, given that ¡°바카라사이트re are a ton of companies out 바카라사이트re trying¡± to make that happen.

ASU, at least for now, appears to be limiting its ambitions to 바카라사이트 training of future mental health counsellors, by giving such trainees a series of verbal prompts ¨C such as presenting 바카라사이트 kinds of comments that an anxious person or a depressed person might make ¨C and leaving 바카라사이트 student to make a diagnosis.

That¡¯s different from actually using AI tools on patients, Dr Schwartz said. Such a limited experiment, he said, ¡°is a little bit of a different and, in some ways, if it¡¯s handled correctly, not a terrible idea¡±.

Various studies and surveys have concluded that US higher education students have been?suffering for several years?with?record rates of poor mental health, with conditions worsening significantly during 바카라사이트 pandemic, overwhelming 바카라사이트 capacity of institutions to respond.

Yet part of 바카라사이트 reality, Dr Schwartz said, is that students can probably get a counselling appointment on most US campuses faster than Americans can elsewhere.

But while college campuses may provide plenty of potential test subjects should a place like ASU choose to expand its experiments with AI-based mental health innovations, that¡¯s probably not a good future direction, he said.

The college population of young people ¡°is so volatile¡±, Dr Schwartz said. Given 바카라사이트 importance of acting quickly to help students with mental health challenges stay enrolled, he said, ¡°you really want to have 바카라사이트 most robust, nimble and thorough services you can, that are responsive, and not have people waiting and talking to a machine.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com