Off-label AI: The mental health risk no one is talking about

kAmpx W2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46X :D C2A:5=J 82:?:?8 EC24E:@? :? >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6[ 2?5 7@C 8@@5 C62D@?] xE @776CD E96 A@E6?E:2= E@ DEC62>=:?6 42C6[ F?4@G6C 4=:?:42= :?D:89ED[ 2?5 3C@256? 2446DD E@ 6DD6?E:2= DFAA@CE]k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DAC:?8962=E9]4@>Qm$AC:?8 w62=E9k^2m C6A@CED E92E[ 2=@?8D:56 E9:D AC@>:D:?8 @FE=@@<[ E96C6VD 2 D:8?:7:42?E[ @7E6? @G6C=@@<65 C:D< 7@C w# 2?5 36?67:ED =6256CDi %96 :?4C62D:?8 2AA=:42E:@? @7 @77\=236= px :? >6?E2= 962=E9]k^Am

k9bm(92E :D @77\=236= px :? >6?E2= 962=E9nk^9bm

kAmQ~77\=236= pxQ C676CD E@ E96 2AA=:42E:@? @7 86?6C2=\AFCA@D6 px E@@=D[ DF49 2D {2C86 {2?8F286 |@56=D W{{|DX[ 7@C AFCA@D6D 7@C H9:49 E96J H6C6 ?@E @C:8:?2==J 56G6=@A65 @C 4=:?:42==J G2=:52E65[ A2CE:4F=2C=J :? E96 C62=> @7 6>A=@J66 >6?E2= 962=E9 DFAA@CE]k^Am

kAm}62C=J 92=7 Wcg]fTX @7 &]$] 25F=ED 92G6 EC:65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]C6D62C4982E6]?6E^AF3=:42E:@?^bghhee_f_0{2C860{2?8F2860|@56=D02D0|6?E2=0w62=E90#6D@FC46D0!2EE6C?D0@70&D60:?0E960&?:E650$E2E6DQm{{|Dk^2m 7@C ADJ49@=@8:42= DFAA@CE :? E96 =2DE J62C] pD x D2:5 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DAC:?8962=E9]4@>^6G6?E^9@H\42?\@C82?:K2E:@?D\49@@D6\2\D@=FE:@?\FD:?8\2:\D276=JQm@FC >@DE C646?E H63:?2Ck^2m[ E92E >62?D >2?J @7 E96D6 E@@=D 2C6 :? 6DD6?46 36:?8 FD65 @77\=236=]k^Am

kAmu@C 6I2>A=6ik^Am

kF=mk=:mp? 6>A=@J66 FD6D 2? {{| E@ E2=< E9C@F89 DF:4:52= E9@F89ED]k^=:mk=:mp H6==?6DD 2AA AC@G:56D 2FE@>2E65 277:C>2E:@?D 3FE =24<D 6D42=2E:@? AC@E@4@=D 7@C C:D<]k^=:mk=:mp G6?5@C 255D 2? “px\A@H6C65 4@249” H:E9@FE 5:D4=@D:?8 9@H :E 92?5=6D 3:2D 2?5 D276EJ 4@?46C?D]k^=:mk^F=m

kAm%96D6 D46?2C:@D >2J D66> 92C>=6DD @? E96 DFC7246] qFE H96? px :D 6>365565 :? 2 566A=J 9F>2? AC@46DD =:<6 >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6[ E96 4@?D6BF6?46D @7 FD:?8 E96 HC@?8 E@@= 42? 36 D6C:@FD]k^Am

k9bm%96 C:D<D 2C6 C62= 2?5 C:D:?8k^9bm

kAmv6?6C2=\AFCA@D6 px E@@=D 2C6?’E 56D:8?65 E@ 92?5=6 4@>A=6I >6?E2= 962=E9 D:EF2E:@?D] %96J =24< 4=:?:42= D2768F2C5D[ @G6CD:89E[ 2?5 @7E6? 32D:4 4@>A=:2?46 AC@E64E:@?D]k^Am

kAm%96C6 2C6 2 ?F>36C @7 4C:E:42= C:D<D E@ FD:?8 @77\=236= px[ :?4=F5:?8ik^Am

kF=mk=:mkDEC@?8mr=:?:42= >:D4=2DD:7:42E:@?k^DEC@?8mi v6?6C2=\AFCA@D6 px E@@=D >2J >:DD D:8?D @7 DF:4:52= :562E:@?[ G2=:52E6 5:D@C56C65 E9:?<:?8[ @C 72:= E@ 6D42=2E6 9:89\C:D< D:EF2E:@?D E@ 2 9F>2?] (:E9@FE 4=62C D276EJ AC@E@4@=D[ E96 4@?D6BF6?46D 42? 36 D6G6C6]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m!C:G24J 2?5 4@>A=:2?46 82ADk^DEC@?8mi %@@=D ?@E 3F:=E 7@C 962=E942C6 @7E6? =24< wx!pp AC@E64E:@?[ 5@?’E 92G6 qFD:?6DD pDD@4:2E6 p8C66>6?ED WqppDX[ 2?5 >2J DE@C6 @C AC@46DD D6?D:E:G6 6>A=@J66 52E2 :?D64FC6=J—AFEE:?8 3@E9 6>A=@J66D 2?5 6>A=@J6CD 2E C:D<]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m{@DD @7 ECFDE 2?5 6?8286>6?Ek^DEC@?8mi x7 px 766=D :?G2D:G6[ 4@?7FD:?8[ @C >:D2=:8?65 H:E9 6>A=@J66 ?665D[ ECFDE BF:4<=J 6C@56D] p?5 H96? ECFDE 3C62<D 5@H?[ 6>A=@J66D 5:D6?8286 7C@> E96 G6CJ E@@=D >62?E E@ DFAA@CE E96>]k^=:mk^F=m

kAm“x E9:?< H:E9 E96 25G6?E @7 px[ E96C6’D D@ >F49 H6 42? 5@ E@ :>AC@G6 >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6[ 9@H :E’D 56=:G6C65[ 9@H H6 42? A6CD@?2=:K6 42C6 7@C A2E:6?ED[ 9@H H6 42? DFA6C492C86 AC@G:56CD[ 2?5 C62==J 5C:G6 4@?D:DE6?E 8C62E @FE4@>6D 7@C 2== A2E:6?ED E92E H6 ECJ E@ EC62E :? >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6[” D2:5 sC] |:==2C5 qC@H?[ $AC:?8 w62=E9’D 49:67 >65:42= @77:46C[ 5FC:?8 2 C646?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DAC:?8962=E9]4@>^6G6?E^9@H\42?\@C82?:K2E:@?D\49@@D6\2\D@=FE:@?\FD:?8\2:\D276=JQmH63:?2Ck^2m] “qFE H6 92G6 E@ 5@ :E :? C62==J D276 2?5 D>2CE H2JD[ 2?5 7:CDE[ 5@ ?@ 92C>]”k^Am

kAmw62C >@C6 @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^J@FEF]36^xu&DH'u!Jg"QmsC] |:==2C5 qC@H?VD E9@F89EDk^2m @? 6E9:42= px FD6 36=@H @C H2E49 E96 H63:?2C C6A=2J]k^Am

k9bm!FCA@D6\3F:=E px :D E96 D276C A2E9k^9bm

kAmu@CH2C5\E9:?<:?8 @C82?:K2E:@?D 2C6 25@AE:?8 AFCA@D6\3F:=E px DJDE6>D E92E 2C6 4=:?:42==J 8@G6C?65 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DAC:?8962=E9]4@>^3=@8^>6?E2=\962=E9\2:\D276EJQm56D:8?65 7@C D276EJk^2m 7C@> E96 8C@F?5 FA]k^Am

kAm%96D6 DJDE6>Dik^Am

kF=mk=:m&D6 >6?E2= 962=E9\DA64:7:4 EC2:?:?8 52E2 2?5 6G:56?46\32D65 7C2>6H@C<D =:<6 rq% @C pr%]k^=:mk=:mx?4=F56 C62=\E:>6 >@?:E@C:?8 7@C D:8?D @7 D6=7\92C>[ C:D<[ @C 4C:D:D\=6G6= =2?8F286]k^=:mk=:mu62EFC6 >F=E:\=2J6C65 D2768F2C5D =:<6 ac^f 6D42=2E:@? E@ 9F>2? 4=:?:4:2?D[ :?AFE >@?:E@C:?8 2?5 @FEAFE D276EJ 4964<D]k^=:mk^F=m

k9bmw@H E@ DA@E E96 5:776C6?46k^9bm

kAmx7 J@F’C6 6G2=F2E:?8 px\A@H6C65 >6?E2= 962=E9 E@@=D[ 5@?’E DE@A 2E[ “s@ J@F FD6 pxn” pD<i w@H 5@ J@F FD6 :E D276=Jnk^Am

kAm%96 36=@H 4964<=:DE AC@G:56D J@F H:E9 2 76H BF6DE:@?D J@F 42? 2D< @7 2?J >6?E2= 962=E9 D@=FE:@? J@F’C6 6G2=F2E:?8]k^Am

k7:8FC6mk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^:>286D]DE24<6C]4@>^H^`ag_^:>286D^DE@C:6D^a_ad^``^ad^DAC:?8\962=E9\@77=236=\2:]A?8Q 2=ElQp E23=6 =:DE:?8 E96 4964<=:DE 2C62D 2?5 H92E E@ 2D< @7 2 >6?E2= 962=E9 D@=FE:@?]Q DEJ=6lQH:5E9i `__TQ ^mk7:842AE:@?m$AC:?8 w62=E9k^7:842AE:@?mk^7:8FC6m

k9bmk3C ^m(9J E9:D >2EE6CD ?@Hk^9bm

kAmpx :D 2=C625J EC2?D7@C>:?8 >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6[ 3FE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DAC:?8962=E9]4@>^3=@8^:?EC@5F4:?8\G6C2\>9\?6H\DE2?52C5\6E9:42=\2:\>6?E2=\962=E942C6Qm:E’D FA E@ 2== @7 FD E@ D92A6 9@Hk^2m] ~77\=236= FD6 @7 {{|D 7@C ADJ49@=@8:42= DFAA@CE :D 8C@H:?8 C2A:5=J[ 6G6? E9@F89 >@DE @7 E96D6 E@@=D H6C6 ?6G6C 56D:8?65 7@C 4=:?:42= FD6]k^Am

kAm%96 8@2= @7 px :? >6?E2= 962=E9 :D E@ 86E 962=:?8] %@ 86E @FE4@>6D] xE’D ?@E E@ 5C:G6 56A6?56?46 @? E96 E@@=[ ?@E E@ 86E 6J632==D @?[ ?@E E@ ;FDE 5C:G6 4@?E:?F65 6?8286>6?E]k^Am

kAm#6DA@?D:3=6 25@AE:@? 42? 96=A 6?DFC6 px :>AC@G6D @FE4@>6D H:E9@FE 4@>AC@>:D:?8 D276EJ[ AC:G24J[ @C ECFDE]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DAC:?8962=E9]4@>^3=@8^@77\=236=\2:\E96\>6?E2=\962=E9\C:D<\?@3@5J\:D\E2=<:?8\23@FEQmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2m k6>mH2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]DAC:?8962=E9]4@>^Qmk6>m$AC:?8 w62=E9k^6>mk^2m k6>m2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2m]k^Am