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Top headlines
Lead story
It’s possible that I’m one of the last people on the planet to discover the uncanny human-like qualities of ChatGPT and its potential to be a stand-in therapist of sorts. But when I used it for the first time recently to get its take on a personal dilemma I was facing, I was nothing short of flabbergasted at how understanding, validating, insightful, supportive and – yes – therapeutic it was. I promptly reported back to my colleagues about it in our next morning news meeting.
So when I received a pitch soon after that began with the words “Your AI therapist will see you now,” I wasted no time in commissioning the story.
Texas A&M University neuroscientist Pooja Shree Chettiar explores both the promise and the potential pitfalls of the growing use of AI to supplement – and in some cases, replace – human therapists.
“Could a string of code really help calm a storm of emotions?” Chettiar asks. “Can an algorithm say ‘I hear you’ with genuine understanding?”
Those are some of the questions researchers are still trying to understand, as some studies show people do feel better after interacting with chatbots. “We know they work for many people, but we’re still learning how and why,” Chettiar writes.
[ Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails). ]
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Amanda Mascarelli
Senior Health and Medicine Editor
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Chatbot ‘therapists’ use artificial intelligence to mimic real-life therapeutic conversations.
Pooja Shree Chettiar/ChatGPT
Pooja Shree Chettiar, Texas A&M University
Mental health chatbots promise therapy at your fingertips, but can AI ease anxiety and depression, or are we confusing conversation with care?
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Economy + Business
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Vivek Astvansh, McGill University
New trade barriers are set to go into effect in July 2027.
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Daniel Hungerman, University of Notre Dame
A new broadly available tax break of up to $1,000 will become available for those giving to a charity if they file on their own. Couples filing jointly may deduct $2,000 from their taxable income.
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International
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Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College
For decades, Lebanon has been torn apart by internal division and external conflict. There may currently be a narrow window for a different future.
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Environment + Energy
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Danielle Wilhour, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Storm systems, heat waves, bright sunlight, even lightning – for millions of people, weather changes can bring on painful headaches.
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Anurag Srivastava, West Virginia University
Recycling solar panels seems like a smart idea, but it’s complicated. Built to withstand years of wind and weather, solar panels are designed for strength, not easy breakdown.
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Health + Medicine
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John C. Quindry, University of Montana
Factors like your health status and how hard you exercise can help gauge the risk of wildfire smoke exposure.
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Science + Technology
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James Foulds, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Phil Feldman, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Shimei Pan, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The tools that are meant to help make AI safer could actually make it much more dangerous.
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Lauren Berger, Texas A&M University
Understanding the similarities and differences of the deserts on Earth and Mars will help space travelers survive future missions to the red planet.
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Ethics + Religion
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Diane Winston, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Swaggart’s calls for a return to conservative Christian norms live on in today’s world of tradwives, limited access to abortion and calls to repeal gay marriage, writes a scholar of religion.
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