Can AI replace mental health professionals?

With the advancement of technology at a high speed, people can connect in a second. However, even though there is an instant connect, the human contact is getting reduced to a great extent. People are relying a lot on artificial intelligence (AI) to resolve their loneliness.

With exposure to social media trends and what people post on digital platforms, there is a wave of comparison and projection of being someone we are not. What exactly is a person seeking? Validation or approval of feelings is becoming increasingly important to individuals. There is a deep psychological need to be seen. Technology is also being used as professional therapists, where people ask all sorts of questions and take suggestions from AI to feel better.

“Social media has become a space where people look for connection, relief from stress, and a sense of support. But these comforts are often shallow and can never match the depth of real relationships. Over time, they can even draw us away from the meaningful bonds we naturally need. With AI, this trend is intensifying. Chatbots are instantly accessible, always responsive, and never critical. While they can offer momentary comfort, they also risk increasing our emotional distance from others. Digital tools have their place, but they can’t provide the warmth, empathy, or true understanding that come from genuine human interaction and professional care,” says Devyani Singha, Clinical Psychologist.

Many youths are relying on AI for emotional support and to seek answers. A research conducted by Youth Ki Awaaz suggested that 57% of Indian youth rely on AI for emotional support.

“The question is not whether AI is better than a mental health professional. Instead, it highlights the depth of stigma, inaccessibility, fear, limited literacy, and increasing isolation in our society, as well as our collective choice to remain silent about topics related to the self, body, and mind. It is ironic that a society which has created rituals to grieve death, which reveres the anger of gods and goddesses, and whose many dance forms are embodied expressions of catharsis, seems to deny space to its own individuals — who often feel alien and apologetic when asked to express their feelings and emotions.

I have been a mental health professional for more than a decade and have worked with thousands of individuals across class, caste and gendered experiences. Many times, I have heard clients speak about using AI or technology to unravel their inner emotional challenges. A common pattern has emerged across these narratives: loneliness, fear of judgment, lack of supportive relationships, and a deep need to be heard—someone to say, “It’s okay,” “What I’m feeling is allowed and real,” “I am not alone.”

A mental health professional is not only trained to accurately assess symptoms, diagnose conditions and provide evidence-based therapies that create real, long-term changes. They are also trained to manage risk, trauma and emotional crises safely, while offering a confidential, non-judgmental space for healing. Their expertise goes far beyond what social media (unfiltered information) or AI (prompt-directed and therefore limited/biased) can offer, providing the depth, accountability, and human connection essential for true mental well-being,” says Suman Bharti, counselling psychologist.

It is important to make people aware of the importance of human intervention when we talk about mental wellness. As a society, it is all the more important to reach out to each other and stay connected.