Artificial intelligence has undeniably penetrated the medical field with various applications in machines, devices and systems used in healthcare facilities. But many people do not prefer to personally visit clinics and hospitals and seek professional help for various reasons.
Ontario, Canada-based lawyer Entisar Bukair had this predicament when she looked for a way to easily and regularly care for her mental health without setting a therapist appointment every so often.
As a practicing lawyer, Bukair found it necessary to de-stress and care for her mental health while taking on other people’s problems and emotions. Last November, a friend recommended the Mind-Easy app to her, and she has been very content with her regular virtual counseling since.
The app has an AI therapist who helps users with breathing exercises and listens when they want to vent. The best part is the AI speaks different languages for easy and more personal interactions.
In Bukair’s case, her AI therapist, named Olivia, speaks in Arabic. She said that aside from the language, she’s pleased that the avatar looks familiar, making it easy for her to connect with the AI.
“It feels super personalized, and the avatars that are showing up, they look like me,” Bukair told CTVNews.ca in an interview. “They don’t take into the fact that I am a veiled Muslim woman, because the person offering to me is not placing the same weight and significance that I would on these different intersectionalities and identities that I hold so dearly to my heart.”
Bukair admitted that she has this sense of security, knowing the therapist she talks to via the app is not real. She is not bothered by the limitations of the robot. Instead, she’s grateful that she can visit the AI therapist regularly to keep her mental health in check.
“I do acknowledge the fact that it is like a robot at the end of the day. And it’s going to be different than humans, for sure (but) I think the people that really gravitate to this app, like myself, are people that want to use something to supplement the human interaction that we already get in our everyday lives or through traditional mental health resources,” she said.
The app is free to download. However, accessing its services will require a fee. The monthly rate is $12.99, while the yearly rate is $102.99. Compared to traditional therapy with a real therapist, the Mind-Easy app provides a more affordable option. When not covered by a health plan, a counseling session could cost between $50 and $300.
As a relatively new app, Mind-Easy currently has more than 15,000 users in 17 different countries across the globe. The app founders told CTVNews.ca that it currently has about 2,000 active users per month.
Unlike other AI technologies, Mind-Easy’s AI pulls data from one place. The creators thoroughly developed a system of professional-level information, so the responses are accurate. They also incorporated natural language and different dialects to make the bot more interactive.
“We’ve incorporated a chatbot, which works off of therapeutic interventions, research and clinical information that we’ve worked to collect but also exists. We (then) break it down into a language that’s understandable for day-to-day use and also for the person that we’re talking to,” Mind-East co-founder Akanksha Shelat told the outlet.
“It’s not just random text on screen or not just a general translation, it’s an avatar talking to you and asking you, ‘Hey, how are you feeling?'” Shelat added.