AI therapy takes off in China and Taiwan, but doctors warn of dangers

Young people in China and Taiwan are turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Baidu’s Ernie Bot for therapy, drawn in by privacy, affordability, and 24/7 access. However, mental health professionals warn that digital comfort can’t replace clinical care.

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While some chatbots provide instant reassurance, they lack human nuance and subtle cues and non-verbal behaviour that go unnoticed by psychologists, potentially leading to missed diagnoses. As mental health crises grow in East Asia, AI may help guide people to seek help, but experts emphasise that therapy is about presence and not programming.