Health. “ChatGPT saved our relationship”: When AI intervenes in marital disputes

Will ChatGPT eventually replace couples therapy? Some people are starting to trust OpenAI's artificial intelligence when a fight arises in their relationship. After a fight with her husband, singer Lilly Allen picks up her smartphone and asks the chatbot for advice, as reported by L'ADN . In the podcast Miss Me?, she uses an example of a prompt she sent to ChatGPT: "Write me a long text about an argument that started over the dishwasher and ended with a discussion about our finances." Within seconds, the AI ​​produces a response.

And the British musician isn't alone. A US study collected testimonies from more than 800 people about their use of artificial intelligence in similar situations. Their responses suggest that the majority tend to trust the machine more than a psychologist. "ChatGPT responses in psychotherapy scenarios are often rated higher than those written by human therapists," the researchers write.

Last March, the New York Post interviewed a couple who had embraced this new form of therapy. "ChatGPT saved our relationship," Abella said. She added, "ChatGPT is oddly useful for defusing fights. Neither of us wants to argue with a robot." The couple pays $20 a month to enjoy all of the chatbot's features. A subscription that's cheaper than a session with a psychologist.

“Biased” responses

“There isn’t enough research [proving that ChatGPT’s advice] is reliable,” says Ashley Williams, director of a couples therapy practice in New York City. “How much personal information are you disclosing to AI, and where is that information stored?” she asks.

But unlike a professional, the app is available 24/7. However, it can't replace human analysis. Especially since the robot's response depends on the information the person provides. "People structure questions from their own perspective, so the answers can also be biased," Melanie McNally, a psychologist in Illinois, told HuffPost .

"ChatGPT won't ask you about your own role in the conflict or help you understand someone else's point of view unless you directly ask," the therapist continues. She also highlights the AI's analytical weakness, as it can't read body language and only has access to fragments of information about a situation.