Patients can chat with an AI avatar designed to simulate a human therapist on a new application developed by Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai.
The application, Xaia, for eXtended-Reality Artificially Intelligent Ally, is available on Apple's VisionPro headset. It's designed to give patients a way to engage in self-administered conversational therapy in a relaxing virtual environment, such as a meadow or sunny beach, according to a Feb. 2 news release from the system.
The technology is the result of several years of support and funding, according to the news release.
Apple is eyeing the behavioral health space, according to previous reports. The $3,500 VisionPro Headset could be used to scan for signs of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to an October report from The Information.
The immersive environment the VisionPro provides is a "quantum leap beyond previous technologies," Brennan Spiegel, MD, director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai and co-founder of the Xaia technology, said in the release.
"With Xaia and the stunning display in Apple VisionPro, we are able to leverage every pixel of that remarkable resolution and the full spectrum of vivid colors to craft a form of immersive therapy that’s engaging and deeply personal," Dr. Spiegel said.