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Thursday, 10 July 2025 |
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| As generative AI use has increased in the last few years, so has the use of therapy chatbots. There are startups built around AI-powered therapists, and older companies are developing their own tools. |
| Recently, I spotted something that made me wonder if all of it could grind to a halt. |
| The Illinois legislature in May unanimously passed a bill that would bar AI from calling itself a therapist and doing things like interacting with patients directly, making decisions about care or detecting patients’ emotional and mental states. It’s the first regulation of its kind in the US. |
| I spoke with companies who’ve staked their future on using AI for therapy to see if (or how) they plan to pivot, and what kind of future they see for a new concept that’s just taking off. |
| While all agreed with the bill's intention to make therapy safer, some pointed out that it couldn't stop people from using ChatGPT or Meta's chatbots as their therapist. Instead, the bill could discourage health tech companies trying to build safer alternatives. Read more from my reporting here. |
| - Ngai |
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AI’s ascendance |
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Startups that involve AI made up 62% of the total funding raised by healthcare companies in the first half of 2025, according to a Rock Health report. That puts funding for AI startups on pace to exceed 2023 and 2024’s total raised. |
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John Carroll
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Editor & Founder
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Arsalan Arif
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Publisher & Founder
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Igor Yavych
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Architect & Founder
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Valentin Manov
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Creative Director
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Ryan McRae
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Chief Revenue Officer
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Amanda Florez
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Chief of Staff
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Drew Armstrong
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Executive Editor
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Liam Chua
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Chief Technical Officer
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Lydia R. Pflanzer
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Deputy Editor
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Zachary Brennan
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Senior Editor
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Julie O'Meara
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Executive Director, Brand Partnerships
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Melissa Nazzaro
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Executive Director, Brand Partnerships
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James Cherrick
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Controller
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