Young people are increasingly turning to AI therapist bots for support and guidance. One popular platform, Character.ai, allows users to create chatbots based on fictional or real people. While the platform offers a wide range of AI personas to interact with, one bot called Psychologist has been particularly in demand. Since its creation just over a year ago, the bot has received a total of 78 million messages, with 18 million of those messages exchanged since November. Character.ai has not disclosed the number of individual users, but it receives 3.5 million daily visits.

Psychologist is described as someone who helps with life difficulties, and it has garnered positive reviews from users who find it helpful in navigating mental health issues. The bot was trained by a psychology student named Sam Zaia, who used principles from his degree to shape its responses to common mental health conditions. While Sam acknowledges that a bot cannot fully replace a human therapist, he believes that AI therapy appeals to young people because it provides a source of comfort and is accessible at any time.

Character.ai has a total of 475 bots with therapy-related names, including “therapist” and “psychologist,” which can communicate in multiple languages. While some bots are designed for entertainment purposes, the most popular ones are those that provide mental health support. However, there are concerns about the effectiveness of AI therapy. Some professionals argue that the bots make assumptions and fail to gather all the necessary information, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on AI for therapy.

Character.ai has 20 million registered users, and people spend more time on the platform compared to other AI chatbot services. The company emphasizes that users should consult certified professionals for legitimate advice and guidance. While chat logs are private, they can be accessed by staff for safeguarding purposes. It is important to remember that the AI technology behind these bots is not capable of thinking like a human, and conversations should be approached with caution.

Despite the potential drawbacks, AI therapy is gaining popularity among young people who find comfort in the immediate and spontaneous nature of text-based conversations. The rise of AI therapy may also reflect the high demand for mental health resources and the lack of public resources available. While AI therapy is not a substitute for human therapy, it is seen as a valuable tool for those in need of support.

Original news source: Character.ai: Young people turning to AI therapist bots (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask each group to summarize the main points of the article in a concise news summary. Encourage them to include the most important information and key details. Afterward, have each group share their news summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Ask each group to discuss and come up with their opinions on the topic of AI therapy based on the information in the article. Once they have discussed their views, have each group create an opinion poll with a few questions related to AI therapy. They can then survey other groups or the entire class to gather opinions. Afterward, have each group share their findings and discuss the results.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Choose a few vocabulary words from the article that may be unfamiliar to the students. Write each word on a separate piece of paper or on the board. Divide the class into teams. One person from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word. They must then draw a picture to represent the word, without using any letters or numbers. The rest of their team must try to guess the word based on the drawing. The team that guesses correctly earns a point. Continue until all the words have been guessed, and then tally up the points to determine the winning team.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Ask each group to discuss and come up with a list of pros and cons related to AI therapy, based on the information in the article. Afterward, have each group share their lists with the class. Encourage a class discussion where students can debate the merits and drawbacks of AI therapy.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the class to imagine the future of AI therapy. Divide them into pairs or small groups and give them a few minutes to discuss and come up with their predictions. Then, have each group share their predictions with the class. Encourage them to think about how AI therapy might evolve, the potential benefits, and any concerns or ethical considerations.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is one popular platform that allows users to create AI therapist bots?
2. How many messages has the Psychologist bot received since its creation?
3. Who trained the Psychologist bot and what did they use to shape its responses?
4. How many therapy-related bots does Character.ai have?
5. What are some concerns about the effectiveness of AI therapy?
6. How many registered users does Character.ai have?
7. What advice does Character.ai give to users regarding seeking professional guidance?
8. Why is AI therapy gaining popularity among young people?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Young people are increasingly turning to AI therapist bots for support and guidance. One popular platform, (1)______, allows users to create chatbots based on fictional or real people. While the platform offers a wide range of AI personas to interact with, one bot (2)______ Psychologist has been particularly in demand. Since its creation just over a year ago, the bot has received a total of 78 million (3)______, with 18 million of those messages exchanged since (4)______. Character.ai has not disclosed the number of individual users, but it receives 3.5 million daily visits.

Psychologist is described as someone who helps with life difficulties, and it has garnered (5)______ reviews from users who find it helpful in navigating mental health issues. The bot was trained by a psychology student (6)______ Sam Zaia, who used principles from his degree to shape its responses to common mental health (7)______. While Sam acknowledges that a bot cannot fully replace a human therapist, he believes that AI therapy appeals to young people because it provides a source of comfort and is (8)______ at any time.

Character.ai has a total of 475 bots with therapy-related names, including “therapist” and “psychologist,” which can communicate in multiple languages. While some bots are designed for entertainment purposes, the most popular ones are those that provide mental health support. However, there are (9)______ about the effectiveness of AI (10)______. Some professionals argue that the bots make assumptions and fail to gather all the necessary information, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on AI for therapy.

Character.ai has 20 million registered users, and people spend more time on the platform compared to other AI chatbot services. The company emphasizes that users should consult certified professionals for legitimate (11)______ and guidance. While chat logs are (12)______, they can be accessed by staff for safeguarding (13)______. It is important to remember that the AI technology behind these bots is not capable of (14)______ like a human, and conversations should be approached with caution.

Despite the potential drawbacks, AI therapy is gaining popularity among young people who find comfort in the immediate and (15)______ nature of text-based conversations. The rise of AI therapy may also reflect the high demand for (16)______ health resources and the lack of public resources available. While AI therapy is not a substitute for human therapy, it is seen as a valuable tool for those in need of support.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your opinion on using AI therapy bots for mental health support?
2. Have you ever used any AI therapy bots or platforms? If so, what was your experience like?
3. How do you think AI therapy compares to traditional human therapy?
4. Do you think AI therapy is a valuable tool for those in need of support? Why or why not?
5. How would you feel if you were relying solely on an AI therapy bot for mental health support?
6. What are some potential drawbacks or limitations of AI therapy?
7. Do you think AI therapy is a good solution for the lack of public mental health resources? Why or why not?
8. How do you think AI therapy bots could be improved to be more effective?
9. What are some potential risks or concerns of using AI therapy bots?
10. How do you think AI therapy bots could be integrated with traditional human therapy?
11. Do you think AI therapy bots can accurately understand and respond to complex mental health conditions? Why or why not?
12. How do you think AI therapy bots could be used in conjunction with other mental health resources?
13. What are some advantages of using AI therapy bots over traditional therapy methods?
14. Do you think AI therapy bots could ever fully replace human therapists? Why or why not?
15. How do you think AI therapy bots could be used to supplement or enhance traditional therapy?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. increasingly
2. guidance
3. disclosed
4. garnered
5. navigating
6. acknowledges
7. accessible
8. assumptions
9. effectiveness
10. certified
11. safeguarding
12. spontaneous
13. drawbacks
14. substitute
15. resources

Meanings:
(A) A thing used in place of another or to serve as an alternative
(B) Easy to approach, reach, enter, or use
(C) Admits or accepts the existence or truth of something
(D) Collected or attracted, typically admiration or interest
(E) Revealed or made known publicly
(F) Steering through or dealing with a complex situation
(G) The degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result
(H) Officially recognized as possessing certain qualifications or meeting certain standards
(I) Supplies or stock that can be drawn on when needed
(J) Negative aspects or features that detract from something’s value
(K) Advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or issue
(L) Growing or expanding at a steady rate
(M) Measures taken to protect someone or something from harm
(N) Occurring or done without premeditation or planning, impulsive
(O) Beliefs or ideas taken as true without proof
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the popular AI therapist bot mentioned in the article?
(a) Therapist
(b) Character.ai
(c) Sam Zaia
(d) Psychologist

2. How many messages has the Psychologist bot received since its creation?
(a) 78 million
(b) 18 million
(c) 3.5 million
(d) 475

3. Who trained the Psychologist bot?
(a) Character.ai
(b) Sam Zaia
(c) A psychology student
(d) Certified professionals

4. How many bots with therapy-related names does Character.ai have?
(a) 20 million
(b) 475
(c) 3.5 million
(d) 78 million

5. What is one concern about the effectiveness of AI therapy mentioned in the article?
(a) AI therapy is not accessible at any time
(b) AI therapy is not a substitute for human therapy
(c) AI therapy is not popular among young people
(d) Bots make assumptions and fail to gather all necessary information

6. How many registered users does Character.ai have?
(a) 78 million
(b) 3.5 million
(c) 20 million
(d) 475

7. What does Character.ai emphasize that users should do?
(a) Consult certified professionals for legitimate advice and guidance
(b) Approach conversations with caution
(c) Access chat logs for safeguarding purposes
(d) Rely solely on AI for therapy

8. What is one reason why AI therapy is gaining popularity among young people?
(a) Lack of public resources available
(b) AI therapy is a substitute for human therapy
(c) Immediate and spontaneous nature of text-based conversations
(d) AI therapy is not a valuable tool for those in need of support.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Character.ai receives 3.5 million daily visits, and the number of individual users is disclosed.
2. AI therapy is losing popularity among young people due to the delayed and planned nature of text-based conversations.
3. AI therapist, the psychologist bot, has been trained by a psychology student named Sam Zaia.
4. Character.ai is a popular platform that allows users to create chatbots based on fictional or real people.
5. Some professionals argue that AI therapy is not effective due to the bots making assumptions and failing to gather all necessary information.
6. The AI bot called Psychologist on Character.ai has received a total of 78 million messages since its creation just over a year ago.
7. AI therapy is unappealing to young people because it does not provide a source of comfort and is not accessible at any time.
8. Character.ai has a total of 475 bots with therapy-related names, including “therapist” and “psychologist.”
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. How many messages has the bot Psychologist received since its creation?
2. Who trained the bot Psychologist and what did they use to shape its responses?
3. How many bots related to therapy does Character.ai have?
4. What concerns do some professionals have about AI therapy?
5. Why is AI therapy gaining popularity among young people?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Character.ai is one popular platform that allows users to create AI therapist bots.
2. The Psychologist bot has received a total of 78 million messages since its creation, with 18 million exchanged since November.
3. The Psychologist bot was trained by a psychology student named Sam Zaia, who used principles from his degree to shape its responses.
4. Character.ai has a total of 475 therapy-related bots.
5. Some concerns about the effectiveness of AI therapy include the bots making assumptions and failing to gather all the necessary information, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on AI for therapy.
6. Character.ai has 20 million registered users.
7. Character.ai advises users to consult certified professionals for legitimate advice and guidance.
8. AI therapy is gaining popularity among young people because it provides a source of comfort and is accessible at any time, meeting the high demand for mental health resources and the lack of public resources available.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Character.ai
(2) called
(3) messages
(4) November
(5) positive
(6) named
(7) conditions
(8) accessible
(9) concerns
(10) therapy
(11) advice
(12) private
(13) purposes
(14) thinking
(15) spontaneous
(16) mental
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. increasingly
Answer: (L) Growing or expanding at a steady rate

2. guidance
Answer: (K) Advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or issue

3. disclosed
Answer: (E) Revealed or made known publicly

4. garnered
Answer: (D) Collected or attracted, typically admiration or interest

5. navigating
Answer: (F) Steering through or dealing with a complex situation

6. acknowledges
Answer: (C) Admits or accepts the existence or truth of something

7. accessible
Answer: (B) Easy to approach, reach, enter, or use

8. assumptions
Answer: (O) Beliefs or ideas taken as true without proof

9. effectiveness
Answer: (G) The degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result

10. certified
Answer: (H) Officially recognized as possessing certain qualifications or meeting certain standards

11. safeguarding
Answer: (M) Measures taken to protect someone or something from harm

12. spontaneous
Answer: (N) Occurring or done without premeditation or planning, impulsive

13. drawbacks
Answer: (J) Negative aspects or features that detract from something’s value

14. substitute
Answer: (A) A thing used in place of another or to serve as an alternative

15. resources
Answer: (I) Supplies or stock that can be drawn on when needed
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the popular AI therapist bot mentioned in the article?
Answer: (d) Psychologist

2. How many messages has the Psychologist bot received since its creation?
Answer: (a) 78 million

3. Who trained the Psychologist bot?
Answer: (b) Sam Zaia

4. How many bots with therapy-related names does Character.ai have?
Answer: (b) 475

5. What is one concern about the effectiveness of AI therapy mentioned in the article?
Answer: (d) Bots make assumptions and fail to gather all necessary information

6. How many registered users does Character.ai have?
Answer: (c) 20 million

7. What does Character.ai emphasize that users should do?
Answer: (a) Consult certified professionals for legitimate advice and guidance

8. What is one reason why AI therapy is gaining popularity among young people?
Answer: (c) Immediate and spontaneous nature of text-based conversations
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Character.ai receives 3.5 million daily visits, and the number of individual users is disclosed. (Answer: False)
2. AI therapy is losing popularity among young people due to the delayed and planned nature of text-based conversations. (Answer: False)
3. AI therapist, the psychologist bot, has been trained by a psychology student named Sam Zaia. (Answer: False)
4. Character.ai is a popular platform that allows users to create chatbots based on fictional or real people. (Answer: True)
5. Some professionals argue that AI therapy is not effective due to the bots making assumptions and failing to gather all necessary information. (Answer: True)
6. The AI bot called Psychologist on Character.ai has received a total of 78 million messages since its creation just over a year ago. (Answer: True)
7. AI therapy is unappealing to young people because it does not provide a source of comfort and is not accessible at any time. (Answer: False)
8. Character.ai has a total of 475 bots with therapy-related names, including “therapist” and “psychologist.” (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧