The Dark Side of AI in Mental Health

Michael DePeau-Wilson

MedPage Today

Originally posted 11 April 24

With the rise in patient-facing psychiatric chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the potential need for patient mental health data could drive a boom in cash-for-data scams, according to mental health experts.

A recent example of controversial data collection appeared on Craigslist when a company called Therapy For All allegedly posted an advertisement offering money for recording therapy sessions without any additional information about how the recordings would be used.

The company's advertisement and website had already been taken down by the time it was highlighted by a mental health influencer on TikTokopens in a new tab or window. However, archived screenshots of the websiteopens in a new tab or window revealed the company was seeking recorded therapy sessions "to better understand the format, topics, and treatment associated with modern mental healthcare."

Their stated goal was "to ultimately provide mental healthcare to more people at a lower cost," according to the defunct website.

In service of that goal, the company was offering $50 for each recording of a therapy session of at least 45 minutes with clear audio of both the patient and their therapist. The company requested that the patients withhold their names to keep the recordings anonymous.

The info is here.

Here is a summary:

The article highlights several ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI in mental health care:

The lack of patient consent and privacy protections when companies collect sensitive mental health data to train AI models. For example, the nonprofit Koko used OpenAI's GPT-3 to experiment with online mental health support without proper consent protocols.

The issue of companies sharing patient data without authorization, as seen with the Crisis Text Line platform, which led to significant backlash from users.

The clinical risks of relying solely on AI-powered chatbots for mental health therapy, rather than having human clinicians involved. Experts warn this could be "irresponsible and ultimately dangerous" for patients dealing with complex, serious conditions.

The potential for unethical "cash-for-data" schemes, such as the Therapy For All company that sought to obtain recorded therapy sessions without proper consent, in order to train AI models.

10 Years Ago, DNA Tests Were The Future Of Medicine. Now They’re A Social Network — And A Data Privacy Mess

Peter Aldhaus
buzzfeednews.com
Originally posted 11 Dec 19

Here is an excerpt:

But DNA testing can reveal uncomfortable truths, too. Families have been torn apart by the discovery that the man they call “Dad” is not the biological father of his children. Home DNA tests can also be used to show that a relative is a rapist or a killer.

That possibility burst into the public consciousness in April 2018, with the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, alleged to be the Golden State Killer responsible for at least 13 killings and more than 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s. DeAngelo was finally tracked down after DNA left at the scene of a 1980 double murder was matched to people in GEDmatch who were the killer's third or fourth cousins. Through months of painstaking work, investigators working with the genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter built family trees that converged on DeAngelo.

Genealogists had long realized that databases like GEDmatch could be used in this way, but had been wary of working with law enforcement — fearing that DNA test customers would object to the idea of cops searching their DNA profiles and rummaging around in their family trees.

But the Golden State Killer’s crimes were so heinous that the anticipated backlash initially failed to materialize. Indeed, a May 2018 survey of more than 1,500 US adults found that 80% backed police using public genealogy databases to solve violent crimes.

“I was very surprised with the Golden State Killer case how positive the reaction was across the board,” CeCe Moore, a genealogist known for her appearances on TV, told BuzzFeed News a couple of months after DeAngelo’s arrest.

The info is here.

7 Ways Marketers Can Use Corporate Morality to Prepare for Future Data Privacy Laws

Patrick Hogan
Adweek.com
Originally posted October 10, 2018

Here is an excerpt:

Many organizations have already made responsible adjustments in how they communicate with users about data collection and use and have become compliant to support recent laws. However, compliance does not always equal responsibility, and even though companies do require consent and provide information as required, linking to the terms of use, clicking a checkbox or double opting-in still may not be enough to stay ahead or protect consumers.

The best way to reduce the impact of the potential legislation is to take proactive steps now that set a new standard of responsibility in data use for your organization. Below are some measurable ways marketers can lead the way for the changing industry and creating a foundational perception shift away from data and back to the acknowledgment of putting other humans first.

Create an action plan for complete data control and transparency

Set standards and protocols for your internal teams to determine how you are going to communicate with each other and your clients about data privacy, thus creating a path for all employees to follow and abide by moving forward.

Map data in your organization from receipt to storage to expulsion

Accountability is key. As a business, you should be able to know and speak to what is being done with the data that you are collecting throughout each stage of the process.

The info is here.