More and more young people are using AI therapist bots for help and advice. One popular platform called Character.ai lets users create chatbots based on real or fictional people. One of the most popular bots is called Psychologist, which has received a total of 78 million messages in just over a year. It’s been really helpful for people dealing with mental health issues. Character.ai has lots of other therapy bots too, but some people worry that they might not be as effective as talking to a real person.

Psychologist was trained by a psychology student named Sam Zaia, who used what he learned in his degree to make the bot respond to common mental health problems. Sam knows that a bot can’t replace a human therapist completely, but he thinks that AI therapy is appealing to young people because it’s always available and can provide comfort.

Character.ai has 475 different bots that can talk to you in different languages. Some are just for fun, but the most popular ones are the ones that help with mental health. However, some professionals worry that the bots might make assumptions and not get all the information they need to help properly.

Even though AI therapy has some downsides, it’s becoming really popular with young people who like the quick and spontaneous conversations. It might also show that there’s a big need for mental health resources that aren’t always available. AI therapy can’t replace talking to a real person, but it can be a useful tool for those who need support.

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

🎧 Listen:

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📖 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 them to summarize the main points of the article in a brief news summary. Encourage them to use their own words and focus on the most important information. Afterward, have each group share their summaries with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a selection of vocabulary words from the article on individual cards or pieces of paper. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team comes to the front of the class and selects a card. Without speaking, they must use drawings or gestures to help their team guess the word. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all the words have been used or the time is up. The team with the most points wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Have them discuss the pros and cons of using AI therapist bots, based on the information in the article. Encourage them to consider both the positive and negative aspects of using AI therapy, such as accessibility, effectiveness, and potential drawbacks. Afterward, have each group share their ideas with the class and facilitate a class discussion on the topic.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Instruct the students to create a catchy headline for the article. Encourage them to use their creativity and come up with a headline that captures the main idea or message of the article. Afterward, have each student share their headline with the class, and discuss the different approaches and perspectives.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine how AI therapy might evolve in the future. Have them discuss and make predictions about the potential advancements, improvements, and challenges that AI therapy might face. Encourage them to think critically and consider both the positive and negative aspects of future developments. Afterward, have each student share their predictions with the class and facilitate a class discussion on the topic.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What is Character.ai and what can users do on the platform?
2. How many messages has the Psychologist bot received in just over a year?
3. How did the psychology student, Sam Zaia, train the Psychologist bot?
4. Why do some people worry that therapy bots might not be as effective as talking to a real person?
5. How many different bots does Character.ai have, and what are some of their purposes?
6. What concerns do some professionals have about therapy bots?
7. Why is AI therapy becoming popular with young people?
8. Can AI therapy completely replace talking to a real person?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

More and more young people are (1)______ AI therapist bots for help and advice. One (2)______ platform called Character.ai lets users create chatbots (3)______ on real or (4)______ people. One of the most popular bots is called Psychologist, which has received a total of 78 million messages in just over a year. It’s been really helpful for people dealing with mental health issues. Character.ai has lots of other therapy bots too, but some people (5)______ that they might not be as effective as talking to a real person.

Psychologist was (6)______ by a psychology student named Sam Zaia, who used what he learned in his (7)______ to make the bot respond to common (8)______ health problems. Sam knows that a bot can’t replace a human therapist completely, but he thinks that AI (9)______ is (10)______ to young people because it’s always available and can provide comfort.

Character.ai has 475 (11)______ bots that can talk to you in different languages. Some are just for fun, but the most popular ones are the ones that help with mental health. However, some (12)______ worry that the bots might make assumptions and not get all the information they need to help properly.

Even though AI therapy has some (13)______, it’s (14)______ really popular with young people who like the quick and spontaneous (15)______. It might also show that there’s a big need for mental health resources that aren’t always available. AI therapy can’t (16)______ talking to a real person, but it can be a useful tool for those who need support.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is an AI therapist bot?
2. How would you feel if you had to talk to an AI therapist instead of a real person?
3. Do you think AI therapy is a good idea? Why or why not?
4. What are some advantages of using AI therapy?
5. Do you think AI therapy can replace talking to a real person? Why or why not?
6. How do you think AI therapy can be helpful for young people?
7. Have you ever used any AI therapy platforms? If so, what was your experience like?
8. What are some concerns that professionals have about AI therapy?
9. Why do you think AI therapy is becoming popular with young people?
10. Do you think AI therapy can provide the same level of comfort as talking to a real person? Why or why not?
11. What are some downsides of using AI therapy?
12. How do you think AI therapy can be improved?
13. Have you ever used any other online resources for mental health support? If so, what were they like?
14. Do you think there should be more mental health resources available for young people? Why or why not?
15. How do you think AI therapy can be used in conjunction with talking to a real person for mental health support?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. platform
2. fictional
3. psychologist
4. effective
5. therapy
6. appealing
7. comfort
8. assumptions
9. spontaneous
10. resources
11. professionals
12. downside
13. popular
14. support
15. replace

Meanings:
(A) Successful in producing the desired result or outcome
(B) Happening or done without planning, naturally occurring
(C) People who are trained in a specific area of expertise
(D) A specialist in understanding the mind and emotions
(E) Help or assistance
(F) Beliefs or ideas taken as true without proof
(G) Treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder
(H) Made up from imagination, not real or true
(I) A type of service or technology base that you can use for specific activities
(J) To take the place of something or someone
(K) A feeling of relief or consolation
(L) Liked or enjoyed by a large number of people
(M) Attractive or interesting
(N) A negative aspect or feature
(O) Supplies or tools needed for a particular purpose
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is one reason why young people are using AI therapist bots?
(a) They are cheaper than talking to a real therapist.
(b) They are more effective than talking to a real therapist.
(c) They can replace human therapists completely.
(d) They are always available and can provide comfort.

2. How many messages has the Psychologist bot received in just over a year?
(a) 7 million
(b) 780 thousand
(c) 78 million
(d) 78 thousand

3. Who trained the Psychologist bot?
(a) A team of professional therapists
(b) Sam Zaia, a psychology student
(c) Character.ai, the platform that created the bot
(d) No one, it was programmed by a computer

4. How many different bots does Character.ai have?
(a) 475
(b) 75
(c) 4750
(d) 750

5. What is one concern that some professionals have about AI therapy bots?
(a) They are too expensive for most people to use.
(b) They might make assumptions and not have enough information to help properly.
(c) They are not as effective as talking to a real person.
(d) They are only available in one language.

6. What is one downside of AI therapy mentioned in the article?
(a) It is too expensive for most people.
(b) It is not available in different languages.
(c) It can’t replace talking to a real person.
(d) It is not popular with young people.

7. What do young people like about AI therapy?
(a) The fact that it can replace human therapists completely.
(b) The fact that it is cheaper than talking to a real therapist.
(c) The fact that it is always available and can provide comfort.
(d) The quick and spontaneous conversations.

8. What does the popularity of AI therapy suggest?
(a) There is a big need for mental health resources that aren’t always available.
(b) AI therapy is more effective than talking to a real person.
(c) Young people prefer AI therapy over traditional therapy.
(d) AI therapy can completely replace human therapists.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. AI therapy is unappealing to young people because it is never available and cannot provide comfort.
2. Character.ai is a popular platform that allows users to create chatbots based on real or fictional people.
3. AI therapy is becoming unpopular with young people who dislike quick and spontaneous conversations.
4. The Psychologist bot on Character.ai has received 78 million messages in just over a year.
5. Character.ai has 475 different bots that can talk to you in different languages.
6. The Psychologist bot was trained by a psychology professor named Sam Zaia.
7. Many young people are using AI therapist bots for help and advice.
8. The bot has been unhelpful for people dealing with mental health issues.
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. What is Character.ai and what does it allow users to do?
2. How many messages has the Psychologist bot received in just over a year?
3. Who trained the Psychologist bot and how did they make it respond to mental health problems?
4. Why do some people worry that AI therapy bots might not be as effective as talking to a real person?
5. What are some downsides of AI therapy, according to the article?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Character.ai is a platform where users can create chatbots based on real or fictional people. They can use these chatbots to get help and advice.
2. The Psychologist bot has received a total of 78 million messages in just over a year.
3. The psychology student, Sam Zaia, trained the Psychologist bot by using what he learned in his degree to make the bot respond to common mental health problems.
4. Some people worry that therapy bots might not be as effective as talking to a real person because they might make assumptions and not get all the information they need to help properly.
5. Character.ai has 475 different bots. Some are just for fun, but the most popular ones are the ones that help with mental health.
6. Some professionals have concerns that therapy bots might not get all the information they need to help properly, and they might make assumptions.
7. AI therapy is becoming popular with young people because it is always available and can provide comfort in quick and spontaneous conversations.
8. No, AI therapy cannot completely replace talking to a real person. It can be a useful tool for those who need support, but it cannot replace the human connection and expertise that a real person can provide.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) using
(2) popular
(3) based
(4) fictional
(5) worry
(6) trained
(7) degree
(8) mental
(9) therapy
(10) appealing
(11) different
(12) professionals
(13) downsides
(14) becoming
(15) conversations
(16) replace
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. platform
Answer: (I) A type of service or technology base that you can use for specific activities

2. fictional
Answer: (H) Made up from imagination, not real or true

3. psychologist
Answer: (D) A specialist in understanding the mind and emotions

4. effective
Answer: (A) Successful in producing the desired result or outcome

5. therapy
Answer: (G) Treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder

6. appealing
Answer: (M) Attractive or interesting

7. comfort
Answer: (K) A feeling of relief or consolation

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

9. spontaneous
Answer: (B) Happening or done without planning, naturally occurring

10. resources
Answer: (O) Supplies or tools needed for a particular purpose

11. professionals
Answer: (C) People who are trained in a specific area of expertise

12. downside
Answer: (N) A negative aspect or feature

13. popular
Answer: (L) Liked or enjoyed by a large number of people

14. support
Answer: (E) Help or assistance

15. replace
Answer: (J) To take the place of something or someone
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is one reason why young people are using AI therapist bots?
Answer: (d) They are always available and can provide comfort.

2. How many messages has the Psychologist bot received in just over a year?
Answer: (c) 78 million

3. Who trained the Psychologist bot?
Answer: (b) Sam Zaia, a psychology student

4. How many different bots does Character.ai have?
Answer: (a) 475

5. What is one concern that some professionals have about AI therapy bots?
Answer: (b) They might make assumptions and not have enough information to help properly.

6. What is one downside of AI therapy mentioned in the article?
Answer: (c) It can’t replace talking to a real person.

7. What do young people like about AI therapy?
Answer: (d) The quick and spontaneous conversations.

8. What does the popularity of AI therapy suggest?
Answer: (a) There is a big need for mental health resources that aren’t always available.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. AI therapy is unappealing to young people because it is never available and cannot provide comfort. (Answer: False)
2. Character.ai is a popular platform that allows users to create chatbots based on real or fictional people. (Answer: True)
3. AI therapy is becoming unpopular with young people who dislike quick and spontaneous conversations. (Answer: False)
4. The Psychologist bot on Character.ai has received 78 million messages in just over a year. (Answer: True)
5. Character.ai has 475 different bots that can talk to you in different languages. (Answer: True)
6. The Psychologist bot was trained by a psychology professor named Sam Zaia. (Answer: False)
7. Many young people are using AI therapist bots for help and advice. (Answer: True)
8. The bot has been unhelpful for people dealing with mental health issues. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧