Alejandra Enríquez, psychologist: "ChatGPT doesn't know who you really are, so it won't solve your problems."

In recent years, we've seen how Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT have become the preferred methods for a large part of the population, especially young people, to replace the consultation with a psychologist . No, under no circumstances should AI become our therapist, as it lacks the necessary elements to transform a conversation with a psychologist into something deeply human and empathetic.

In this worrying context, numerous expert voices have spoken out against this type of undesirable practice , which, instead of seeking a solution to our emotional problems , ends up being a problem in itself. Psychologist Alejandra Enríquez is one of the therapists who considers it a serious mistake to turn our ChatGPT into a psychological consultation.

"Artificial Intelligence is not capable of solving our problems."

Using ChatGPT as if it were a mental health professional can be a trap. A tool like Artificial Intelligence, which can help us decipher knowledge we don't have, and many other things we want to know, isn't good for everything. In the case of psychology, specifically, it's contraindicated, despite the new trend that's leading many young people to use it.

In a video on social media, psychologist Alejandra Enríquez warns about the risks of sharing all our emotional "intimacies" with a machine like this. "Be careful when sharing your problems with ChatGPT, because it could reinforce your negative ideas and make the situation you're worried about worse. AI isn't capable of solving our problems; ChatGPT doesn't know who you really are."

When it comes to mental health, the expert is clear that human support is key. The use of ChatGPT has brought about new habits, and they aren't always advisable, at least when it comes to psychology . Many young people believe that talking to someone outside their own race will give them greater privacy and all the answers, but Enríquez makes it clear that "it's one of the worst decisions we can make."

This is how ChatGPT works with the problems you tell it

As the expert goes on to explain, what Artificial Intelligence actually does is process a series of texts without any understanding of our personality, the problems we carry, or the context that shapes our lives. And in psychology, this holistic view of the human being is key.

From here on, even if ChatGPT ventures to offer solutions to certain questions we pose, it's actually impossible for it to clarify our situation in a specific way or offer us appropriate advice. Another major danger is that this practice will almost certainly end up reinforcing incorrect ideas : "ChatGPT doesn't know who you really are, it won't solve your problems , and it's probably reinforcing the ideas you're giving it."

Some studies, such as one conducted at Stanford University a few months ago, concluded that ChatGPT can validate erroneous and even delusional ideas, and that it cannot detect emotional crises with the accuracy of a professional. "If we tell our problems to AI, we can fall into the so-called confirmation bias, which means we only accept what reinforces our beliefs, without giving credence to what we 'don't like' to hear. In environments like social media, objectivity is lost."

AI can never replace the dialogue between psychologist and patient.

According to countless studies, one of the pillars that makes psychology work is the emotional bond created between patient and therapist, something that Artificial Intelligence is unable to achieve.

To conclude with her warning about this new tool, the psychologist says that "healing wounds or curing traumas is not just about applying a theory from a manual, which is what ChatGPT can do, but a psychological treatment goes much further than that: feeling seen, heard, specifying it to the patient, making them unique... I understand that you use ChatGPT to organize your ideas, reinforce concepts and even to read about things that you don't understand very well, but don't use it as a psychologist ."