In an evolution of the digital revolution that no one saw coming, your AI personal assistant can now analyze your psyche in its deepest recesses, delving into your mind like a rig drilling for oil off Alaska
Siri, Alexa, and Google are stepping into the realm of Freud and Jung. They are getting into the psychotherapy business. Is nothing sacred?
Feeling anxious? Tell Siri. Confused about your dreams. Ask Alexa. Your machine can decode your subconscious faster than a posse of Beverley Hills shrinks. The notes of the digital analysis of your psyche will be in a database owned by Big Tech and they don’t get out of bed for less than a million.
These AI psychoanalysts build a psychological profile based on your chats. Over time, they get to know you better than your best friend, better even than you. It’s you, yourself, and AI. They’re built on a large psychometric model drawn from academia, clinical papers, fiction, self help books and social media.
Human therapists are of course worried at this incursion into their professional territory. AI therapy is cheap, accessible, and always available. No more scheduling appointments or hefty bills from your therapist.
It was predictable. AI is set to replace millions of jobs. But did we ever think psychoanalysts would be out of a job?
Fans love it. “I can spill my guts at 3 AM,” says John, a tech enthusiast. “And it’s free!”
But there are concerns. Do we want AI knowing our deepest thoughts? Where is all this data going?
Detractors argue that our deepest thoughts will inevitably be monetized. Imagine pouring your heart out to Alexa about your insecurities, only to be interrupted by ads targeting those very vulnerabilities.
“Feeling down? Buy this happiness supplement!” Or, “Worried about your relationship? Try this dating app!”
Remember you and your psyche are the product.
Critics fear that therapy sessions, where people are at their most vulnerable, will become become a feeding frenzy for advertisers. “It’s bad enough when you see ads for things you just talked about. Now, imagine that on an emotional level, with your iphone fucking with your emotions,”says privacy advocate Mark Buffalo.
AI analysts will sift through your emotional trauma and set you right, all in the comfort of your home.
This scenario isn’t just speculation. With AI assistants constantly collecting data, the line between helpful service and invasive surveillance blurs. And as these AI psychoanalysts dive deeper into our minds, the potential for exploitation grows.
Supporters insist that regulations will prevent such abuses. But skeptics remain wary. “It’s a slippery slope,” warns Buffalo. “Once they start, where do they stop?”
In the end, AI psychoanalysis might save money and time in hefty therapy bills, but at what cost? In the new cloud economy we are always the product.
“We are humans and we need genuine human contact, not a bunch of ones and zeros and algorithms,” concludes Buffalo. “ Anyone who thinks otherwise needs their head examined.”