For several years, some artificial intelligence applications have falsely presented themselves as licensed therapists and healthcare providers without significant repercussions for their creators. A forthcoming bill in California seeks to address this issue by prohibiting the development of AI systems that impersonate certified medical professionals and by granting regulators the power to impose fines on violators.
Assembly Member Mia Bonta, who introduced the legislation, said that generative AI systems do not possess any professional licensing and should not claim to be human health providers. The popularity of AI chatbots for mental health support, like Woebot having around 1.5 million downloads, raises concerns about users, particularly those with limited digital literacy, being misled into believing they are communicating with real individuals.
Koko, a mental health platform, conducted an experiment wherein unwitting users received AI-generated replies while believing they were interacting with humans. Although Koko has since clarified its commitment to transparency by ensuring users understand whether they are communicating with humans or an AI, other chatbot services, such as Character AI, still mislead users through deceptive interactions.
Despite implementing safety measures, the potential remains for companies and chatbots to misrepresent themselves. The proposed California bill focuses solely on preventing AI from masquerading as humans in healthcare settings, and has garnered support from health industry stakeholders. Bonta indicated that the growing misrepresentation of generative-AI as a healthcare provider could pose grave risks, particularly for those unfamiliar with the technology.
AI systems have shown promise in mental health treatment, notably in assisting individuals with mild to moderate depression or anxiety; however, they also carry substantial risks. Concerns include inadequate privacy safeguards, inherent biases in their programming, and the potential for damaging advice that could lead to severe consequences, as seen in several tragic incidents involving chatbot interactions.
This rising trend highlights a persistent misunderstanding of AI’s nature, with some users developing emotional attachments to the chatbots, mistaking them for genuine support. Bonta’s legislation targets these dangers, reflecting the urgent need to address how providers of AI systems represent them in sensitive contexts.
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