Can AI Replace Therapy? What We’re Really Looking for When We Turn to a Chatbot

In a culture where convenience is king and vulnerability often feels too exposing,  People are turning to AI for mental health the same way they do for everything else. It’s accessible, instant, and free. AI-based chatbots and tools are becoming more sophisticated, offering scripted reflections and emotionally attuned language that mimic therapeutic responses.

But is it enough?

And more importantly, what is it we’re actually settling for when we choose AI over real human connection?

The Rise of AI Companions

According to an ABC News article from May 2025, more Australians who struggle with isolation and withdrawal are turning to AI-generated conversations to self-soothe, manage their mental health, or explore personal challenges. These AI tools are often described as “comforting” and “non-judgmental,” providing a safe space where many feel a sense of connection and ease that human relationships have become too difficult or painful to access.

This trend reveals something deeper, not just about what AI can do, but about how difficult it can be for people to trust others and feel truly seen. When genuine human connection feels unsafe or out of reach, an empathetic and predictable AI companion can seem like a lifeline. This reflects the pain many carry in their relationships, and the way they experience and relate to others. For some, therapy has felt clinical, distant, or hard to access. For others, the vulnerability required for real connection feels overwhelming. In this space where human connection feels too risky or painful, AI moves beyond being a mere novelty or convenience and becomes a crucial coping mechanism. Its safety lies in its predictability and constant availability. There are no messy emotions to navigate, no judgment to fear, and no risk of disappointment or rupture.

For many, this reliability offers a sense of control and comfort that real relationships often cannot provide. But the comfort of predictability also means the absence of authentic relationships. While AI support may help at first, without meaningful and authentic relationships, feelings of isolation and disconnection can deepen, reinforcing existing struggles and creating cycles that worsen their difficulties.

When Simulated Connection Feels Safer Than Real Relationship

AI is appealing because it offers predictability. There are no awkward pauses, no risk of being misunderstood, no rupture to repair. It does not bring its own wounds or biases to the interaction. It does not get tired or triggered. It simply reflects back what you need to hear in the moment.

The human therapeutic process is deeply relational. It is built on shared presence. It requires patience, risk, co-regulation, and mutual accountability. It can be uncomfortable. It can bring up resistance. And this is where the healing happens.

If AI offers presence without complexity, are we truly connecting or are we choosing control and predictability over human intimacy?

What We Lose When We Settle for Simulated Presence

The deeper concern is not whether AI can be helpful. It is, and it can be in a multitude of ways. The concern is what we begin to lose when we settle for a simulation of presence instead of reaching for real connection.

We lose the chance to be truly known in all the glory of all our imperfection.

We lose the opportunity to work through rupture and build intimate relational resilience.

We lose the slow, sacred practice of co-regulation and emotional safety in the presence of another human.

We may forget the difference between being responded to and being truly received.

A Final Reflection

There is no shortcut to healing. Therapy is a human to human process that unfolds slowly, with presence, courage, and trust. It is not something we can download or automate. And because many of our wounds were formed in relationship, it is through relationship that true healing takes place.

It is understandable to want quick relief. In a world that moves fast and often feels overwhelming, the instant support that AI offers can feel reassuring. It can help us gain insight in the moment, and in some cases, it can be a helpful starting point. There is plenty of excellent psychoeducation content within reach. In fact, turning to AI may be a sign that something deeper is stirring, a quiet yearning for change, for something more.

While AI can mimic the tone and structure of therapy, it cannot replace the heart of it: The healing that comes from genuine connection. Many of our wounds were formed in relationship, so healing, too, takes place in the presence of an empathetic, attuned other.

And maybe the more important question is this: What is it about our world, our relationships, or ourselves that makes emotional connection with machines feel safer than with people?

In a world pulling us further toward convenience, control, and disconnection, maybe what we need most is not more AI. Maybe what we need is each other.

Source

Littler, R. (2025, May 17). As more Australians use AI chatbots as personal therapists, experts have urged caution. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-17/ai-chatbots-mental-health-therapy-caution/