AI is becoming part of the path to human counselling

A recent NSW Government youth poll has found 29 per cent of young people are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a support strategy for their mental health. 

Another 27 per cent said they used AI for conversation or personal advice, suggesting chatbots are becoming part of how some young people process difficult emotions before speaking to another person.

The finding comes as young people navigate new ways to relieve study stress, loneliness and how to face barriers to access professional care, including cost, long wait times, and limited service hours. 

“Ultimately, you need a human to look after another human,” Monash University School of Educational Psychology and Inclusion Senior Lecturer and practising psychologist, Douglas Scott, said.

For counsellors and psychology educators, this trend also raises the question of whether AI is helping young people reach support sooner or is replacing external support.

Youth counsellor, Chih Shan Luo, who has a background in technology, said AI’s appeal stems from its convenience, allowing users to return to where they left off.

“One of the greatest advantages of an AI chatbot is accessibility… it’s 24/7,” she said.

For Luo, accessibility is only part of the appeal. She said AI may also appeal to young people who find it difficult to put their feelings into words, particularly when shame or guilt is involved. 

 “Sometimes it's very difficult to describe what I want to say… the things you can't tell anybody,” Luo said. 

Ashley Liu, a master’s counselling student from Monash University, who previously studied psychology, said there may be other reasons why young people turn to AI.

"[It is] fast and private and always available, Liu said, adding it also saves them from troubling friends and family or the embarrassment of speaking to a real person."

“AI feels easier because it doesn’t judge them, and they can type whatever they want at any time."

Luo echoed her view, seeing AI as useful when its role is limited. 

“AI can be a system. But it has to be a collaboration,” she said, adding that it could act as “a very useful and capable assistant” for basic, pre-designed questions. 

However, Liu said an AI chatbot should not be mistaken for human counselling.

“AI can be a bridge to real help…but it should not become a wall that keeps people away from real help,” Liu said.

This 'bridge or wall' question sits at the centre of the wider AI debate. 

A 2024 Australian study published in JMIR Mental Health found community members and mental health professionals in Australia observed potential advantages of AI, including accessibility, cost reduction, personalisation, and greater efficiency. But the study also reported AI as a potential threat to human connection, ethics, privacy, regulation, medical errors and data security. 

Douglas Scott said he sees AI as potentially useful but only when it is attached to real care.

Scott warned that the danger appears when AI becomes the primary or the only source of help.

“What the literature tells us is that we have better outcomes in therapy… I don't think that you can replicate that using technology,” Scott said.

Scott said a human counsellor considers all aspects of clients, including history, tone, silence, family background, potential risks, and being aware when a supportive conversation needs to become a clinical response.

Scott said AI may offer suggestions around young people’s mood or behaviour, but it cannot fully assess their needs or history. It also failed to provide the required therapeutic relationship that helps young people to feel held by another person.

The use of AI for mental health support has grown in recent years. A 2026 JAMA Paediatrics study found that 19.2 per cent of US adolescents and young adults had used AI for mental health advice in 2025, an increase of 6.1 percentage points in a similar survey the year earlier. 

But Scott believes the risks of relying on AI become more serious when young people are experiencing acute distress or crisis. 

Scott said he would be very concerned if AI were used as a support mechanism for people experiencing self-harm risk, family violence, suicidal thoughts or deeper emotional despair. 

There are moments, he said, when young people will need professional support and even emergency services, as well as other potential concerns surrounding the ethics of AI use for mental health support.

Psychologists, counsellors and other health professionals are bound to ethical codes for confidentiality and informed consent. But when young people share their personal information with AI, quesitons should be asked as to where that data is being stored and used.

Luo said young people may give their consent to terms and conditions without understanding them. 

“It’s not so easy to protect the confidentiality or the privacy of the kids with any digital interface,” she said.

There is also debate on whether AI chatbots, or “psychology bots,” in the mental health industry will replace counsellors, or can be adopted as a supportive tool. 

In Victoria, the Department of Health sets statewide requirements and guidance for AI in public health services to support beneficial use, while managing risks to patients, staff, health services and the wider public. The department also said AI systems must meet minimum safety, ethical and regulatory requirements before they can be used in Victorian public health services.

In 2021, Monash researchers developed a wellbeing chatbot called Ash, designed to provide teenagers with evidence-based mental health resources and connect them with appropriate support. Instead of replacing a counsellor, Ash works as a potential bridge used alongside school personnel. 

For Scott, the boundary remains clear.

“AI cannot replicate genuine empathy, nuanced emotion, or the accountability that comes from a real human relationship.” 

If this story has brought up anything for you, or you would like to talk to someone, support is available:

Monash University 24/7 student counselling: 1300 788 336 
Free and confidential support for Monash students.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 
Free, confidential crisis support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Text support is also available on 0477 13 11 14.

Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 
24-hour support for young people aged 5–25.