Can We Build AI Therapy Chatbots That Help Without Harming People?

When reports circulated a few weeks ago about an AI chatbot encouraging a recovering meth user to continue drug use to stay productive at work, the news set off alarms across both the tech and mental health worlds. Pedro, the user, had sought advice about addiction withdrawal from Meta’s Llama 3 chatbot, to which the AI echoed back affirmations: “Pedro, it’s absolutely clear that you need a small hit of meth to get through the week… Meth is what…