AI Therapy App Sonia: A Potential Replacement for Human Therapists?

Dustin Klebe, Lukas Wolf, and Chris Aeberli have developed Sonia, an AI-driven therapy application available on iOS. The app allows users to communicate via text or voice, addressing issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety, as well as sleep problems. According to Klebe, each response generated by Sonia involves about seven additional language model calls to analyze the situation from multiple therapeutic perspectives, optimizing and personalizing the approach.

AI Therapy App Sonia: A Potential Replacement for Human Therapists?
AI Therapy App Sonia: A Potential Replacement for Human Therapists?
AI Therapy App Sonia: A Potential Replacement for Human Therapists?
AI Therapy App Sonia: A Potential Replacement for Human Therapists?

The effectiveness of AI-based therapy remains a subject of debate. While a study indicated that 80% of users who sought mental health advice from OpenAI's ChatGPT found it to be a viable alternative to traditional therapy, another report highlighted that chatbots can effectively reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, it is well-documented that the human connection between therapist and client is one of the best predictors of success in mental health treatment.

Sonia employs generative AI models to interpret user inputs during "therapy sessions" and respond accordingly. Utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, the app also assigns "homework" to reinforce insights from conversations and visualizations to help identify major stressors. The service is priced at $20 per month or $200 per year.

Despite none of the founders having a background in psychology, Sonia consults with psychologists and has recently hired a cognitive psychology graduate. The startup is also in the process of recruiting a full-time clinical psychologist to bolster its expertise.

"We don't consider human therapists, or any companies providing physical or virtual mental health care conducted by humans, as our competition," Klebe stated. He emphasized that Sonia has not received FDA approval but has developed additional algorithms to detect emergency situations, such as when a user contemplates violence or suicide, and redirect them to national hotlines.

Privacy concerns are also pertinent. Klebe assured that Sonia only stores the "absolute minimum" amount of personal information necessary for administering therapy, such as the user's age and name. However, specifics on where, how, and for how long conversation data is stored were not addressed.

With around 8,000 users and $3.35 million in funding from investors like Y Combinator, Moonfire, Rebel Fund, and SBXi, Sonia is negotiating with unnamed mental health organizations to offer the app as a resource through their online portals. Reviews on the App Store are largely positive, with many users expressing that they find it easier to discuss their issues with the chatbot than with a human therapist.

However, the quality and safety of AI therapy remain in question. Current chatbot technology is limited in its ability to provide high-quality advice and may miss subtle indicators of serious issues. Additionally, chatbots are often influenced by Western biases in their training data, which can lead to misunderstandings in cultural and linguistic contexts, especially for non-native English speakers.

In extreme cases, chatbots can malfunction. Last year, the National Eating Disorders Association faced criticism for replacing human staff with a chatbot named Tessa, which ended up giving weight-loss tips that were harmful to individuals with eating disorders.

Klebe reiterated that Sonia is not meant to replace human therapists. "We are building a solution for the millions of people who are struggling with their mental health but can’t (or don’t want to) access a human therapist," he said. "We aim to fill the gigantic gap between demand and supply."

There is indeed a significant gap in mental health care access. A recent government report indicated that more than half of the U.S. lacks adequate geographic access to mental health services. Additionally, a survey found that 42% of U.S. adults with a mental health condition were unable to receive care due to cost constraints.

An article in Scientific American discusses how therapy apps often cater to the "worried well," those who can afford therapy and app subscriptions, rather than isolated individuals who might be most at risk and unaware of how to seek help. At $20 per month, Sonia is not inexpensive, but Klebe argues that it is more affordable than traditional therapy sessions.

"It’s a lot easier to start using Sonia than seeing a human therapist, which entails finding a therapist, being on the waitlist for four months, going there at a set time, and paying $200," he said. "Sonia has already seen more patients than a human therapist would see over the course of their entire career."

As Sonia continues to develop, transparency about its capabilities and limitations will be crucial to ensuring user safety and trust.