OpenAI released MentalHealthBench, an open benchmark that measures how AI systems respond in realistic mental health conversations, on Sept. 23. The company built the benchmark with more than 80 licensed psychologists and psychiatrists from 22 countries. The cohort speaks 19…
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AI chatbots made potentially dangerous errors in conversations designed to mimic teen mental health scenarios, according to research from AI testing company Vals AI, The Washington Post reported Sept. 23. Vals AI worked with mental health professionals to stage more…
Americans are more likely to say AI chatbots hurt rather than help people who use them for support with loneliness, depression or stress, according to an Aug. 25 Pew Research Center report. The center surveyed 3,488 U.S. adults from June…
Talkspace is using AI across its clinical workflow and patient-facing services, including through Tee, its AI-powered mental health guide, according to an Aug. 18 CO— by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce report. The digital mental health platform provides access to…
AI is moving from pilot project to daily reality across behavioral healthcare. Systems are using it to ease documentation burden, train crisis-response staff and flag patients at risk of relapse. On the other hand, regulators, unions and clinicians are pushing…
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In 2026, five states enacted laws restricting AI therapy chatbots, joining Illinois and Nevada, which adopted similar measures last year, according to the Transparency Coalition’s 2026 Mid-Year State AI Legislation Report. The bans largely rely on states’ authority to license…
Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents and young adults in the U.S. — an estimated 8.2 million people — used an AI chatbot for mental health advice in 2025, according to a study published June 1 in JAMA Pediatrics. The findings…
Health systems are rapidly adopting AI in healthcare, and behavioral health leaders have taken note of what is — and is not — working. From preventing clinician burnout to creating tools for emotional support for caregivers, here are five systems…
More than one-third of psychologists, 35%, said patients are using AI as an additional mental health professional, according to American Psychological Association’s 2026 Chatbots and Mental Health Survey. APA surveyed more than 1,200 licensed psychologists in the U.S. who are…
From requiring companies to disclose that chatbots are not human to restricting the technology’s use in treating patients, these five states have passed laws or created agencies to address AI’s role in mental health.