A majority of people prefer AI-based therapy to humans, survey finds

The changing therapeutic landscape: A recent study reveals a significant shift in how people approach mental health support, with over half of participants preferring AI-based therapy to human clinicians.

• A 2022 study published in Computers in Human Behavior found that 55% of 872 participants favored AI therapists over human practitioners
• Key factors driving this preference include increased comfort levels and improved accessibility
• The trend aligns with a broader pattern of people seeking non-human interactions for emotional support

Understanding human preference for artificial companions: The tendency to prefer non-human interactions stems from fundamental aspects of human nature and social dynamics.

• Humans often find comfort in relationships with beings that lack the capacity for judgment or betrayal
• Unlike human relationships, interactions with AI are perceived as free from the complexity of hidden motives or duplicity
• This preference parallels our historical relationship with pets, which offer unconditional acceptance and emotional support

The anthropomorphization factor: Humans have a natural tendency to attribute human characteristics to non-human entities, which influences how we interact with AI systems.

• This impulse dates back to ancient civilizations attributing human qualities to natural phenomena
• Children demonstrate this tendency by treating toys and stuffed animals as living beings
• The phenomenon extends to modern technology, where people often perceive their devices as having human-like qualities

Critical considerations: The comparison between AI therapeutic relationships and human connections raises important questions about authenticity and reciprocity.

• While AI can provide a listening ear, it fundamentally lacks the capacity for genuine empathy and shared experience
• The human ability to relate through shared mortality and suffering creates a depth of understanding that AI cannot replicate
• Questions remain about whether the comfort derived from AI interactions can substitute for genuine human connection

Looking ahead: The therapeutic relationship paradox: While AI may offer certain advantages in accessibility and judgment-free interaction, its inability to truly reciprocate emotional understanding presents a fundamental limitation in therapeutic relationships. The growing preference for AI therapy may reflect more about human discomfort with vulnerability than the actual effectiveness of artificial emotional support.