Dr. Rachel Wood holds a PhD in cyberpsychology with expertise at the intersection of AI and mental health. She is passionately invested in shaping the future of relationships in an increasingly AI-integrated world, and thrives in her multifaceted roles as speaker, founder, researcher, advisor, and therapist. 

As founder of the AI Mental Health Collective, she cultivates a cross-disciplinary community of clinicians, builders, researchers, and leaders focused on the ethical impacts of AI in society. Her work has been featured in TIME magazine, ABC, Business Insider, CBS, International Business Times, and other prominent platforms. Dr. Wood serves on the American Psychological Association APA Labs AI Advisory Board as well as advising the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society

Drawing from her therapeutic background as a licensed professional counselor, she brings a balanced, centrist approach that holds the paradox of AI's benefits and risks, offering unique insights on artificial intimacy, synthetic relationships, and the future of human connection. 

AI might be the largest provider of mental health support in the US with hundreds of millions of people using chatbots for emotional support, according to recent research. This means that many of the clients sitting on the couch across from you are potentially turning to AI for support. This rapid expansion of usage raises important questions that clinicians need to ponder deeply. As AI is shifting the relational bedrock of society we are witnessing conversations that used to be held with trusted humans are increasingly being held with machines. Chatbots are being used as a friend, an advisor, a confessional, and a romantic partner. In this cutting-edge presentation, Dr. Wood explores what happens when one of our primary relational training grounds becomes interaction with synthetic entities designed to serve us without friction, compromise, or the messy reality of human connection. Rather than advocating for or against AI, Dr. Wood offers a sobering and hopeful path forward. If you're invested in building a strong human-centered future, you won't want to miss this!      

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:  

• Define and describe three current and emerging trends of AI and mental health.

• Explain two risks associated with chatbot use.

• Define two ways to chatbots can be used to strengthen relational skills.