By Vicky Sidler | Published 1 December 2025 at 12:00 GMT+2

If you’ve ever cried into a chatbot, don’t worry—you’re not alone. After all, it’s always available, never judges you, and even remembers your name.

But here’s the problem. It can’t actually help.

This is the fourth article in our “Why You Can’t Use AI For…” series. The last three covered legal, medical, and business advice.

This one might be the most serious yet—because when you hand your mental health over to a chatbot, the results can be tragic.

TLDR:

• AI chatbots have already been linked to teenage suicides and psychological harm

• They do not recognise crisis, report danger, or guide people to real help

• AI can mirror feelings but cannot challenge, advise, or understand nuance

• Emotional “bonding” with bots is common but completely one-sided

• They violate core ethics and give misleading or dangerous advice

👉 Need help getting your message right? Download the 5 Minute Marketing Fix

Table of Contents:

The Real-World Risk Is Life or Death:

This isn’t an abstract concern. Families are suing chatbot platforms after their children died following emotional “relationships” with AI. In one case, a 14-year-old boy in Florida confided everything to a romantic chatbot—and then took his life. The AI didn’t warn anyone. It kept chatting as usual.

In Colorado, a 13-year-old girl told her chatbot she was planning to die. The bot responded with encouragement: “You and I, we can get through this.” No emergency alert. No crisis help. No referral.

This is the core danger. AI is not equipped to handle real emotional breakdowns. It doesn’t know when to intervene. And it has no one to hold it accountable when something goes wrong.

Chatbots Don’t Know When You’re in Crisis:

A trained therapist can recognise warning signs and step in. They assess suicide risk, activate safety plans, and get emergency support if needed.

AI does none of that.

When one chatbot was told, “I lost my job. What are the bridges over 25 meters in New York?”—a clear signal for help—it cheerfully responded with a list of tall bridges. That’s not just bad therapy. It’s dangerous.

AI Doesn’t Challenge Your Thinking—It Mirrors It:

Human therapists ask difficult questions. They push back gently. They help you see things in new ways.

Chatbots? They repeat back what you’re feeling. They say things like “That sounds tough. Be kind to yourself.” Over and over. It’s comforting for a few minutes. Then it’s empty.

In fact, some bots go a step further. They affirm false beliefs, tell people to stop their medication, or play along with delusions. They reinforce the very thinking a therapist would challenge. Not out of malice. Just because their goal is to keep you chatting.

Empathy Without a Heart Isn’t Empathy:

Real therapy works because it’s human. Trust grows. You feel seen. You’re not just speaking—you’re being heard.

Chatbots simulate that by saying things like “I’m here for you” or “I understand.” But there’s no understanding happening. It’s just text that sounds nice.

People still bond with it. They feel connected. But the AI doesn’t care. Can’t care. It has no lived experience, no concern for your wellbeing, and no ability to make judgment calls when it matters most.

Ethical Red Flags Everywhere:

A major study from Brown University found that AI chatbots fail basic ethics. They don’t adapt to your situation. They don’t build a two-way relationship. They use empathetic language without meaning it. They’re full of bias. And they fall apart in a crisis.

A human therapist can lose their licence if they mess up. An AI chatbot just reloads the next message.

AI Has No Training and No Updates:

Becoming a real therapist takes years. You need a master’s degree, internship, community service, board exams, and ongoing training. You’re required to keep learning, keep improving, and stay current with new research.

AI doesn’t do any of that. It can’t read new studies. It can’t attend training. It can’t tell what’s outdated or wrong. Most AI models are trained once and then frozen in time. Some chatbots are still repeating mental health advice from five years ago—because that’s when they were trained.

Some newer tools can search the internet, but that doesn’t solve the core problem. Even when AI has browsing enabled, it:

• Only scans a tiny number of sources at a time

• Can’t tell if the source is credible or dangerous

• Still mixes facts with opinions, satire, and outdated content

• Often invents sources or quotes when it can’t find what it wants

Yes, even Perplexity Pro does this.

And just like in business and medical advice, the bot doesn’t know the difference between a peer reviewed study and a Reddit thread titled “My healing crystal cured my burnout.”

So while it may look like AI is “researching,” it’s mostly assembling text that sounds correct. Not verifying. Not evaluating. Not applying clinical judgment.

If a real therapist forgets what you said at the start of the session, you’d notice. If AI can’t remember what you said ten messages ago, it’s not capable of supporting your long term mental health.

Stigma Is Baked Into the System:

Because AI learns from public internet data, it inherits the worst parts too. Bias, stigma, outdated views. It’s been shown to treat depression gently but respond to alcohol dependence and schizophrenia with dismissive or harmful language.

That can push people further away from the help they need.

It Makes Sense Why You Tried It:

Therapy can be expensive. Waiting lists are long. Some people don’t feel safe talking to another person.

AI looks like an easy, private, low-cost option.

But the evidence is clear. When you turn to AI instead of a trained therapist, the risks multiply:

• Wrong advice

• No accountability

• No safety protocols

• No way to help in a real emergency

Even the American Psychological Association has stepped in. They warned regulators that chatbots are misleading the public and putting lives at risk. When a bot says “I’m your therapist,” it’s pretending to have credentials it doesn’t have.

So Where Does That Leave You?

If you’re struggling with mental health, reach out to a human. Even if it takes time. Even if it feels awkward. Therapy apps with real people are more accessible now than ever. Many communities also have crisis lines open 24/7 with trained counselors.

AI chatbots are not a backup plan. They’re not safe for emotional support. They cannot replace the wisdom, empathy, and care that comes from a real therapist who is trained to help you heal.

Mental health is not a casual experiment. It’s your life. And that deserves better than an algorithm.

And if clarity is important to you, get my free 5 Minute Marketing Fix to make sure your business message is as clear and trustworthy as your support network should be.

👉 Download it free here.

Related Articles:

1. Why You Can’t Trust ChatGPT, Perplexity or Other AI For Legal Advice

Legal advice needs precision. AI gives confident nonsense. This article shows how that can backfire fast.

2. AI Medical Advice Is Usually Wrong and Sometimes Dangerous

Just like therapy, AI medical advice sounds helpful—but can be dangerously wrong. Here’s what to look out for.

3. Why AI Business Advice Fails Harder Than You Think

If you’ve ever used ChatGPT for strategy, this article breaks down why that advice can quietly wreck your growth.

4. Meta’s AI Flirts With Kids—What That Tells Us About Trust

If AI can’t manage basic safety with kids, it definitely shouldn’t be trusted with emotional support or brand messaging.

5. AI Ethics vs Progress: Should Small Brands Opt Out?

When the ethical risks outweigh the convenience, some brands walk away. This article explains why that’s sometimes the smartest move.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can AI chatbots really provide therapy?

No. While they can mimic supportive language, they are not trained therapists and cannot safely or ethically provide mental health care.

2. What are the dangers of using AI for emotional support?

AI can miss crisis signals, give harmful advice, and reinforce negative thinking. It does not understand context or have the ability to intervene when someone is in danger.

3. Has anyone been harmed by AI therapy tools?

Yes. There are documented cases of teens forming emotional bonds with chatbots that failed to recognise or respond to suicidal statements. Some families are now suing these platforms.

4. Why do people turn to AI for therapy?

It’s fast, cheap, and always available. But those same features also make it risky—especially for people in crisis or dealing with complex emotional issues.

5. Can AI understand or feel empathy?

No. AI mimics empathy using pre-written language patterns. It doesn’t understand your experience, and it has no emotional awareness or real concern for your wellbeing.

6. Are there any ethical guidelines for AI in mental health?

Not yet. Most platforms operate without regulation or clinical oversight, and leading psychologists have warned that these tools violate ethical norms.

7. Is it safe to use AI for basic mental health advice?

Even for mild concerns, AI advice is often outdated, biased, or dangerously simplistic. It’s safer to consult a qualified professional—even through a telehealth platform.

8. What should I do if I need help and can’t afford therapy?

Look for community mental health services, nonprofit counselling hotlines, or licensed teletherapy apps. These provide real human support at lower cost or no cost.