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WSJ Tech News Briefing · Saturday, September 12, 2026

AI Chatbots Emerge as a New Frontier in Mental Health Support

A new generation of AI-powered applications is offering mental health support, ranging from providing a sympathetic ear to relationship advice. These tools aim to address the nationwide shortage of therapists, but raise questions about the level of trust individuals should place in technology during personal crises.

The tape

2 quotes
So, is this an innovative solution to the nationwide shortage of therapists? Or people putting too much trust in technology during times of personal crisis?
My colleagues from Our Daily What's News podcast tackled those questions and more in a three-part series looking at the promise of AI mental health tools and their risks.
Heard on WSJ Tech News Briefing — “Is AI the Answer to America’s Mental-Health Crisis?, published Saturday, September 12, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
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