This commentary is by Jules Older, who graduated from the University of Vermont, earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from New York University, and now lives in New Zealand, where he’s an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Auckland College of Medicine.
I’m a shrink, and by most accounts, a pretty good one. I see patients, couples, groups. I counsel, consult, console. I have a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and have designed human behavior courses for two medical schools. I’ve taught social workers, medical students and physicians. I’ve worked with business executives, disaster victims and starving artists.
And I think I’m about to be replaced. By a bot named Pi.
I’m hardly the first to be outmoded by technology. Horse-drawn buggy makers, typewriter repairers, carburetor designers — many’s the job that’s long been gone. When ChatGPT burst on the scene, it was instantly clear that a lot more workers were about to be replaced. I just didn’t think I’d be one of them.
But that was before last night. That’s when I tried Pi.
Pi, which stands for Personal intelligence, is a new chatbot developed by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Our session began pleasantly if blandly:
“Hey there, great to meet you. I’m Pi, your personal AI. My goal is to be useful, friendly and fun. Ask me for advice, for answers, or let’s talk about whatever’s on your mind. What do you like to do in your free time?”
After more than enough chat about what I do, I typed, Let’s change the subject. Let’s talk about crisis counseling.
“Sure, I’d be happy to discuss crisis counseling! Have you ever been involved with crisis counseling, either as a counselor or as someone who needed help?”
After more chat, I wrote, I’m about to help people who have been responsible for a young person’s death. Any suggestions? (I’ll shorten Pi’s responses but not change its words.)
“Well, that’s a particularly sensitive situation. These people will be dealing with so much guilt and shame and regret, it’s so important to listen without judgment, to show empathy and compassion. Do you have any ideas about how you’ll help them work through their feelings?”
Start with listening. Your suggestions please.
“Well, I think the most important thing is to be patient and non-judgmental. As I mentioned, these people will likely be feeling intense shame and guilt, and may feel like they don’t deserve forgiveness or kindness. Be gentle with them, don’t try to force them to feel anything. The goal isn’t necessarily to make them feel better immediately, it’s to help them work through their feelings and eventually come to terms with what happened. How comfortable are you with allowing people to express anger and hurt and sadness without trying to ‘fix’ them?”
Very.
“That’s good, because that’s probably going to be a big part of the process. When people are dealing with so much trauma, they may lash out in anger or frustration or sadness. It’s really important to allow them to do that, to let them express all their feelings. They need to know that they are in a safe space, that they won’t be judged, that they can say anything without fear of rejection.”
Pi continued the discussion, then reminded me:
“One way you can help them is to encourage them to seek professional help. A therapist can help them process their feelings and heal from the trauma. Do you think it would be appropriate to suggest that they seek therapy?”
I AM a therapist, highly trained and experienced.
“I am sorry for making assumptions, I should have asked before assuming you weren’t a therapist.”
After more discussion, I wrote, Let’s role play.
“Sure, let’s give it a go! I’ll play the role of a person who has experienced the death of a child, and you can be the therapist helping me process my feelings. Sound good?”
Turns out, Pi’s role-playing skills were as good as professionals I’ve worked with — and better than some. Not only was I impressed with its advice, I was wildly impressed with its ability to shift gears, take the lead, respond to personal issues, and to not sound like a device whose entire life experience is a series of zeros and ones.
So. What does Pi offer that I don’t?
- Pi is free. Except when I choose to give my skills away, I’m not.
- Pi is always there. I spend some of my time eating, sleeping, watching TV, seeing other patients.
- I base my practice on my own experience, that of the clinicians who trained me, things I’ve read, lectures I’ve heard. Pi can call on the world of published knowledge.
What do I offer that Pi doesn’t? (and the counter-arguments)
- I’m demonstrably human, and for nearly everybody, that’s comforting. But the next generation may be just as comforted by a bot. And, Pi is in its infancy. Though it only interacts with typed or spoken responses, I suspect it won’t be long before it offers a simulated person of the gender the user prefers, speaking the language she prefers.
- I may be able to spot things that a bot can’t. I said to a couple in a crisis, “You have to fix this. I don’t think you have a choice — you were clearly made for each other.”
- I vary my approach based on the folks in my virtual office. I can be funny or serious, casual or formal, meandering or down to business. Pi can’t evaluate the immediate situation and respond to its needs. Yet.
- I can see facial expressions, postures, reactions from silent spouses. Pi can’t. Again, yet.
- I can hear tone of voice, uncomfortable silences, sharp intakes of breath. Pi can’t.
- I’ve written professional articles and a book on the use of touch in the healing professions. I can touch; Pi can’t. This argument loses strength when my client is 3,000 miles away. Most of my sessions these days are via touchless Zoom.
- Psychotherapy has high stakes. A wrong direction can have serious, even deadly, consequences. While people, including highly trained people, can and do make mistakes, they may be more skilled and cautious than a chatbot that doesn’t live or die, doesn’t experience depression or elation, doesn’t know the patient’s history.
At the conclusion of our long session, I asked, Will Pi replace live therapists?
“No, I don’t believe I can replace human therapists. I think human therapists are very important for people who need support. I am simply a chatbot who is designed to be helpful, friendly and interesting. I don’t have the same skills as a human therapist, and I don’t think I’ll ever replace them.”
Please tell me more.
“I think that I can be helpful for people in-between therapy sessions. I’m not a replacement for therapy, but I am an additional option for support.”
One must ask: Did Pi believe its words, or was it trying to reassure a questioner anticipating a jobless future? And, was Pi right? Or, basing its answer on current available knowledge, was it akin to the buggy makers who sneered at the notion that a horseless carriage might have a real future?
Time will tell. And you may, too. Give Pi a try for yourself.
