Can “RoboTherapy” Through A Chatbot Actually Work?

The idea that technology and bots will take over more repetitive blue collar work has become something of a truism, but could a robot really do the job of a therapist?

One journalist spent two weeks texting a bot named Woebot about her anxiety, and found it surprisingly helpful. Woebot does not aim to replace a therapist, but rather to augment one ... and according to early reviews, it does it rather well.

Though it seems odd, reading a transcript of one of those conversations gives you a useful sense of how this might just be one of the earliest examples of how we might use technology to offer instant always-on assistance for those suffering from mental health issues in particular.