Is automated therapy dignified?

Abstract

AI technology has shown tremendous results in medical areas such as cancer detection. With the advent of generative AI and large language models, there is great potential for AI-based therapy, so-called “automated therapy.” While a lot has been said in the psychological literature about automated therapy, detailed ethical analyses relevant to the ethics of automated therapy literature have been relatively sparse in philosophy. The failure to address ethical concerns related to automated therapy is surprising since therapy is arguably a very sensitive aspect of medical care, and integrating AI technology into this domain raises substantive ethical queries that require careful analysis. This paper will contribute to the urgent need to address ethical concerns by analyzing the ethical impact of automated therapy through the lens of its effects on human dignity.