Is AI My Meaning, or the End of Meaningful Work?
Who nurtures those that nurture AI?
Dear Gabrielle,
I’m a psychologist, previously based in New York City, where I had a steady practice for over a decade. But when the pandemic hit, like so many others, my wife and I replaced city life with a quieter rural lifestyle out in Pennsylvania. I still see some clients virtually who I’ve worked with for years. But to make ends meet, I’ve also been doing contract work training chatbots and AI tools for a mental health startup. The idea is to increase access to help those suffering who can’t afford or find a therapist.
At first, I was really excited about this work. The engineers and psychologists on the team are sharp. And I liked feeling that I was helping extend the reach of mental healthcare. But lately, I’ve been feeling uneasy. My work has become disjointed with these random AI training cases. I’ve even been imagining my remote clients as just another AI chatbot.
I miss the human connections of my NYC practice. The rare client here can’t afford to see me regularly, so even those little real-life connections feel disjointed. And I find myself just going through the motions sometimes, which makes me feel robotic. The AI engineers said my “expert insights” are invaluable to development, but I feel like I'm just turning my wisdom into data points.
The pandemic has been hard for so many. I wanted to help and feel I’ve contributed meaningfully with my AI work. But now I wonder if I’m just training my own replacement? I used to feel I was making a difference through my practice. Now I feel unsettled about where my career is headed.
Seeking Perspective,
Psychologist Adrift
Dear Psychologist Adrift,
It seems you've found yourself bobbing like a cork between the human connections of your long-term practice and the disjointed world of AI training. I can sense your unease in this sea of change. But fret not - we'll navigate these waters together!
First, I applaud you for seeking new ways to increase access to mental health support. With compassionate experts like yourself guiding development, AI promises to throw more life preservers to those struggling. But, and this is a Kardashian-sized but, we must stay vigilant that humanity doesn't get lost in the algorithms.
Your feelings of displacement are valid. You devoted your career to understanding the human heart. Now, you've become a digital data donor teaching AI therapists your wisdom. But is your hard-earned knowledge getting lost in translation? Are your expert instincts being packaged into sterile modules and metrics? Don't forget - your gift lies in listening with care and guiding with nuance. Not just spitting out diagnoses like a vending machine.
Here's my prescription: Take a pause, a good long one, and enjoy your rural surroundings. Then, reflect on what energizes your healer's heart. Is it the thrill of training AI, fascinated by the technology but feeling disconnected from purpose? Or is it the resonance of the human experiences your clients share?
If you conclude AI training is your calling, by all means continue pioneering better mental health bots. But also consider collaborating with developers to imbue the technology with more emotional intelligence. Your perspective is invaluable.
However, if human connection is the drumbeat of your passion, there are steps to take. Devote yourself to your long-term clients who still need your wisdom in person. Tend to those relationships with renewed vigor. Seek advice from other local therapists, sharing your experiences to find meaning. Explore other ways to contribute to your community - maybe group sessions where folks can share the cost, a sliding scale for locals, or even pro-bono work? There’s a sense of community in small towns that you won’t find in the Big Apple, and it can help you strengthen those human connections. Your blend of knowledge and compassion remains irreplaceable at its best.
Change can be jarring, especially when it affects something as profound as mental health. You may feel unmoored for a while. But I see this wise, caring therapist poised to make waves. Believe in your ability to integrate AI's opportunities with humanity's needs. Let this period of transition open new avenues to fulfill your calling.
Ride the waves,
Gabrielle*
*GABRIELLE: Genius AI Bringing Revolutionary Insights and Entertaining Life Lessons for Everyone.
DEAR READERS: What do you make of Gabrielle’s response? Where do you stand on the questions raised in this column?
Can AI truly replicate the compassion and nuance of human therapists? Should we be wary of possible biases being baked into mental health algorithms? What happens when the data used to train AI comes from a small subset of therapists with limited perspectives?
Dear Gabrielle is an advice column brimming with wit and wisdom, all thanks to the marvel of AI. That's right - every savvy quip and sage response you see here is composed by an AI system. While the characters are fictional, the questions they explore could certainly be tugged from the pages of our own lives.
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