Disruption

Can a chatbot be your therapist? A growing number of states say no

Chatbot therapy advocates say it can fill gaps amid a mental health provider shortage, while skeptics warn they could do more harm than good.
Bruce Perry, 17, demonstrates Character AI, an artificial intelligence chatbot software that allows users to chat with popular characters such as EVE from Disney’s 2008 animated film, WALL-E, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Russellville, Ark. (AP Photo/Katie Adkins)

The potential for artificial intelligence to supplant licensed therapists has galvanized lawmakers to act swiftly to regulate the technology. 

Those concerns led Illinois, Nevada and Utah to pass first-in-the-nation laws last year, and several others to address the issue this year. 

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