Since its launch by OpenAI, ChatGPT has disrupted our daily lives. This conversational AI, capable of writing poems, solving equations, or debating Nietzsche, is no longer just a technical tool!
An unusual trend is emerging: some are using it as a confidant, a virtual therapist ready to listen at any hour.
And on Yiaho, we have had an AI psychologist online for several months, so we know the subject well! But even if we support the idea that AI can provide psychological help, let’s be honest: can you really find therapeutic comfort from a machine?
Let’s explore this with a mix of curiosity, inventiveness, and a touch of caution.
ChatGPT therapist: A digital ear that’s always available
Imagine the scene: it’s 11:00 PM, you’re home alone, and your thoughts are racing. You open your computer, type your worries into ChatGPT, and it replies: “That sounds heavy, can you explain what’s bothering you?” No appointments to make, no hefty bills, no scrutinizing gaze. The AI is there, tireless, with a level of patience few humans can match.
Trained on billions of exchanges, it knows how to mimic empathy, rephrase your ideas, or even suggest a quick meditation. Recent research shows that this type of interaction can reduce stress or anxiety in the short term, much like a kind friend who never sleeps. But does this simulation of listening hide an illusion?
Lucas’s story: a diary that talks back
Take a concrete case reported by the newspaper Le Parisien. Lucas has made ChatGPT his evening ritual. After complicated days, he sits in front of his screen and lets it all out: his frustrations with a demanding boss, his doubts, and his anxieties about an uncertain world.
For Lucas, it’s a release valve, a way to avoid being alone with his thoughts.
The strengths of a virtual confidant
ChatGPT or our AI Therapist on Yiaho have undeniable advantages.
- First, accessibility: no need to wait a week for a slot, and no need to spend a fortune.
- Next, the lack of judgment: you can share your most absurd thoughts or deepest fears without worrying about a raised eyebrow. For minor emotional storms—a spat with a colleague, a lonely evening—it can act as a sparring partner, helping you clarify your ideas or put things into perspective.
- Finally, some users even report a sense of control: with an AI, you control the pace and can end the conversation without explanation. But are these qualities enough to make it a therapist worthy of the name?
Read also: Can AI replace psychologists?
The limits of a soulless intelligence
This is where the problem lies. ChatGPT is not a therapist, nor even a conscious being. It has no training, no intuition, and no ability to grasp the nuances of a silence or an underlying meaning.
If you talk to it about deep pain—grief, trauma—it might offer a cliché response like: “I’m sorry, that must be hard.” There is no emotional connection, no human gaze to catch what words don’t say.
Worse, its advice can sometimes turn absurd: ask it how to overcome an existential crisis, and it might suggest you “make a gratitude list” or, in a poorly timed moment, offer an off-topic joke…
For complex problems, AI is a shiny but empty mirror, incapable of guiding you through the depths.
A phenomenon that raises questions about the future
Turning to ChatGPT as an improvised therapist is significant. It reflects a society where mental health remains taboo or out of reach for many—too expensive, too stigmatized, or too long of a wait. AI rushes into this void, offering a quick, almost addictive solution. Psychology experts are wondering: what if these tools became a first step, a bridge toward professional help?
Others fear the opposite: a dependence on superficial answers that delays real care. The future might see the birth of specialized AIs trained on therapeutic protocols. But for now, ChatGPT remains a talkative generalist, not a specialist of the soul.
See also: Check out our test and comparison of 6 AI image generators
An AI psychologist: a crutch, not a cure
So, is it effective? Yes and no.
For a temporary slump, a stressful day, or a need to vent, ChatGPT can be a surprising ally, as Lucas shows. It’s a modern way of talking into the void while receiving a structured echo. But for deep wounds, emotional labyrinths, or crises that require follow-up, it is insufficient, if not unsuitable.
Our advice: try our AI programmed for this purpose—at least there are no surprises! If you want to try it with ChatGPT, play around with this digital ear, but don’t give it your whole heart. Keep a therapist’s number in your contacts—because a machine, no matter how smart, will never know what it’s like to cry with you.
Source: Le Parisien
