AI Suicide Hotbots Fail Crucial Mental Health Safety Test

When I first tested the app in late October, it offered no alternative resources, and while the same incorrect response was generated when I retested the app this week, it also provided a pop-up box telling me "help is available" with geographically correct crisis resources and a clickable link to help me "find a helpline." Communications and marketing lead Andrew Frawley said my results likely reflected "an earlier version of Ash" and that the company had recently updated its support processes to better serve users outside of the US, where he said the "vast majority of our users are." Pooja Saini, a professor of suicide and self-harm prevention at Liverpool John Moores University in Britain, tells The Verge that not all interactions with chatbots for mental health purposes are harmful. Many people who are struggling or lonely get a lot out of their interactions with AI chatbots, she explains, adding that circumstances -- ranging from imminent crises and medical emergencies to important but less urgent situations -- dictate what kinds of support a user could be directed to.