Can AI therapists really be an alternative to human help?

AI therapists, like chatbots, have emerged as a potential alternative to human support for mental health issues. While some users find comfort and guidance through interactions with AI chatbots, concerns exist regarding the quality of advice given, biases in models, and privacy and security risks. With a surge in mental health referrals and long waiting lists for professional therapy, chatbots are seen as a potential temporary solution, but they are not considered a complete substitute for human therapists by most users and experts.