"Like I'm Talking to a Real Person": Exploring the Meaning of Transference for the Use and Design of AI-Based Applications in Psychotherapy

Area of Science:

• Psychotherapy and Mental Healthcare
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Artificial Intelligence Ethics

Background:

• AI-enabled virtual and robot therapy are rapidly advancing in psychotherapeutic practice.
• These technologies support emotional, cognitive, and social processes in therapy.
• Clinical applications of therapeutic chatbots, avatars, and socially assistive devices are imminent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the role of transference in AI-human psychotherapeutic encounters.
• To reconfigure the concept of transference within the context of AI-driven psychotherapy.
• To explore the implications of AI in traditional psychotherapy and mental healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Karen Barad's conceptual approach to human-non-human relations.
• Analyzed the theoretical underpinnings of transference in AI-human psychotherapeutic interactions.
• Examined the evolving nature of AI-human interaction beyond simple information exchange.

Main Results:

• The concept of transference is necessarily reconfigured within AI-human psychotherapeutic encounters.
• AI-driven technologies introduce significant changes to traditional psychotherapy.
• AI necessitates a richer understanding of AI-human interaction in mental healthcare.

Conclusions:

• The integration of AI in psychotherapy raises critical ethical, social, and clinical questions.
• Transference dynamics must be re-evaluated in the context of AI-enabled therapeutic relationships.
• Future AI development and clinical practice require a nuanced approach to AI-human interaction.