AI & Mental Health: What Works, What Breaks, and What You Should Know

One in eight young adults now use AI for mental health advice. There are over 10,000 apps to choose from, and almost none are clinically validated. But the landscape is shifting fast: new research shows some AI tools match traditional therapy outcomes, while others fail in ways that put vulnerable users at risk.

We have partnered with Effective Mental Health and the Therapists in Tech community to host a 6-session series to bring AI developers, licensed therapists, and consumers into the same room to navigate this landscape together.

We will explore:

How AI mental health tools actually work and where they break
AI relationships and attachment: can a chatbot help you heal? (featuring a sex therapist's perspective)
Privacy and safety: how much do you want your AI to forget?
The economics of mental health: who is building, who's profiting, who's paying
Data justice and bias: whose mental health counts when entire communities are left out of the training data

By June, we are hoping to take it outside to a rooftop, bring our yoga mats, and everything we have built together. 🧘🏾🧘‍♀️🧘🏼‍♂️

Session 1

What You Will Experience

Understand: Current AI & Mental Health Landscape
Learn: Live demo where we build and break a simple chatbot together

Who Should Attend

Anyone curious about using AI for mental health support
Therapists whose clients are already using these tools
Builders who want to understand the stakes

THE EVENT WILL BE HOSTED BOTH IN PERSON + ONLINE. LINKS WILL BE PROVIDED. SEE YOU SOON!

The AI Collective is a global non-profit community uniting 150,000+ pioneers – founders, researchers, operators, and investors – exploring the frontier of AI in major tech hubs worldwide. Through events, workshops, and community-led research, we empower the AI ecosystem to collaboratively steer AI’s future toward trust, openness, and human flourishing.

All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct.

The AI Collective Washington DC | AI x Mental Health Series -- Session 1 What Works, What Breaks, and What You Should Know