Talking to a therapist is parrellel to using AI
I'm watching Her (2013) and something about the way Theodore talks to Samantha made me think that is what talking to a therapist must be like, and the comfort he feels after giving her information about himself is what patients must feel like after talking to their therapist.
I'm not knocking therapy per se but I don't see a therapist, I never have, and I doubt I ever will, so this is mostly conjecture.. But I feel like talking to a therapist is like using AI because they will only know what you tell them. You give them segments of vital information, they crunch the numbers, make assessments how they see fit, and present a reorganized pseudo-original idea of what you just told them back to you. And the only way they will know something about you that you don't tell them is if they research you online and find your social media or an article about you, which is still information that was willingly submitted and in most cases authorized by you, the participant.
A giant part of a therapist's job is to make you feel engaged, or at least make themselves appear to be engaged by you, which is exactly what AI does. The illusion that a therapist can make you feel like you're talking to a friend that actually knows you while constantly offering moral support even though they don't really know you is part of the allure of being in therapy. A therapist is a stranger that instantly gives you affection without you having to be friends with them and work for that affection over time, and that is exactly what AI does when you interact with it.. It gives you what you want without you having to physically work for it, which is why people love using AI.
I'm not knocking therapy per se but I don't see a therapist, I never have, and I doubt I ever will, so this is mostly conjecture.. But I feel like talking to a therapist is like using AI because they will only know what you tell them. You give them segments of vital information, they crunch the numbers, make assessments how they see fit, and present a reorganized pseudo-original idea of what you just told them back to you. And the only way they will know something about you that you don't tell them is if they research you online and find your social media or an article about you, which is still information that was willingly submitted and in most cases authorized by you, the participant.
A giant part of a therapist's job is to make you feel engaged, or at least make themselves appear to be engaged by you, which is exactly what AI does. The illusion that a therapist can make you feel like you're talking to a friend that actually knows you while constantly offering moral support even though they don't really know you is part of the allure of being in therapy. A therapist is a stranger that instantly gives you affection without you having to be friends with them and work for that affection over time, and that is exactly what AI does when you interact with it.. It gives you what you want without you having to physically work for it, which is why people love using AI.