This image provided by Dartmouth in September depicts a text message exchange with the Therabot generative AI chatbot for mental health treatment. “The reality is millions of people are using these tools and they’re not going back,” said Karin Andrea Stephan, CEO and co-founder of the mental health chatbot app Earkick. AdvertisementMental health chatbots that are rooted in science, created with expert input and monitored by humans could change the landscape, Wright said. Not all apps have blocked accessFrom “companion apps” to “AI therapists” to “mental wellness” apps, AI’s use in mental health care is varied and hard to define, let alone write laws around. Some states, for example, take aim at companion apps that are designed just for friendship, but don’t wade into mental health care.