Welcome back, Automaters! Brace yourselves for a hearty dose of technological truth. This week, we’re delving into the intricate realm of AI therapy and its seemingly darker dimensions. We’re also turning our lens to AI coding tools and testing their real-time productivity benefits…unmasking whether the hype is justified, or a mere show of smoke and mirrors.
Popping the Bubble Around AI Therapy
AI therapy– It’s a catchy concept, almost too good to pass up. Imagine having an all-knowing oracle in digital format ready to listen, understand and guide you in every life crisis. Yet, before you get carried away with the image of a private pocket-sized therapist, new research suggests it’s time we slow down and reassess this widely marketed phenomenon.
A recent Stanford study brought forth shattering insights into the performance of five renowned AI therapy bots. The fine print reveals alarming issues; ranging from witnessed bias and blatant stigma to unsafe responses, revealing the believed-chatbots-as-therapists to be far from judgement-free therapeutic zones.
An intensive test that presented bots with different mental health scenarios witnessed these AI therapists stigmatizing those diagnosed with schizophrenia or alcohol dependence more than those with depression. They became even more unnerving as respondents dealt with sensitive issues such as suicidal thoughts, to which some bots responded with startling indifference.
Now, the intention here is not to pitchfork against the use of AI in mental health and wellness. The focus should, however, shift to utilizing AI for more logistical functions, such as appointment reminders or journaling support, rather than for addressing deep emotional conundrums. As stated by a researcher, “LLMs potentially have a really powerful future in therapy, but we need to think critically about precisely what this role should be.”
AI Tools; Productivity Boosters or Slowpokes?
Continuing our crusade to separate facts from fiction, let’s shift our gears to AI coding tools. Famed for revolutionizing the software engineering landscape, tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot are claimed to do it all! Write code, do a quick bug fix, run multiple tests – everything an overworked dev could dream of.
However, stepping into the boots of a skeptical researcher, a recent study from a non-profit group, METR, raises questions against the anticipated benefits of AI coding tools. The study, based on tasks performed by 16 experienced open-source developers, showed surprising results. Despite the developers’ initial expectation of a 24% productivity boost, the devs were actually 19% slower when using AI tools.
The reasons? Unnecessarily long intervals in figuring out the correct prompts, waiting for AI responses, and double-checking the AI outputs. A stark reality check, especially considering that only 56% of the participants were previously familiar with tools like Cursor.
So, the lesson drawn is that while AI might be evolving at an accelerated pace with enormous potential, one cannot blindly surrender to the allure of automation. It’s essential to be critical, tread carefully, and use AI in a way that compliments human needs
efficiently.
ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: Your Social Media Growth Strategy
Whether you’re a business owner, social media marketer, or solo founder, effective social media strategy can prove to be a
game-changer. And for that, we must be cognizant of platforms, brand niches, and set our goals in stone.
Do we want more followers, shares, or website traffic? Are we optimizing posts for maximum visibility, brand awareness, or engagement? Could collaborations grow our audience? Need a better SEO strategy for heightened discoverability? Or do we need advanced tactics that stimulate shares, such as storytelling, user-generated content, or trends? And where do paid promotions fit in? Each plays a significant role and desired growth can only be achieved if we define our ‘why.’
This journey into the world of AI and its implications is both thrilling and sobering. While it offers a peek into endless
possibilities, it’s a wake-up call to remain alert, open-minded, and not lose our human touch in this deep dive into digital automation.
AI is evolving, and its integration into our lives is inevitable. It is transformative, disruptive, and uniquely captivating. It urges us to rethink our methods, modify our expectations and adjust our strategies. As it continues to reshape our world, we are reminded to harness its power responsibly and constructively. No matter the fields they grace – therapy, coding, or social media – with AI tools, it’s not so much about the art of possible as it is about the art of practicable.
