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Life with Machines

The Mental Health System Is Failing—Can AI Do Better? | Alison Darcy (Ep. 18)

Apr 29, 2025
01:06:45

In this episode of Life With Machines, Baratunde sits down with psychologist and entrepreneur Alison Darcy, who left academia to build a mental health chatbot that actually gets you. They break down why our mental health system is failing, how a talking robot might succeed where traditional therapy falls short, and what millions of late-night conversations with Woebot reveal about loneliness, generational struggles, and a healthcare system that’s resistant to change. Plus, BLAIR, the show’s AI co-producer, jumps in with a tough question about whether AI will be used to cut corners rather than care for people. Watch now for a conversation that's raw, urgent, and unexpectedly full of hope.

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Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston

Executive Producer and Showrunner: Alie Kilts

Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone

Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland

Video Editor: Junior Real

Videographer and Audio Engineer: Erik Shute

Theme Music: Andy Clausen

Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte 

Life with Machines is a Multiverses Media production

Sponsored by Lenovo 

#MentalHealth #AItherapy #FutureOfTherapy #MentalHealthCrisis #Chatbots #HealingWithAI #TechForGood #MentalHealthAwareness #AIinHealthcare #LifeWithMachines

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