Hold your horses, tech enthusiasts. I know you’re all giddy about the advancements in artificial intelligence and how it’s going to change the world as we know it, but let’s pump the brakes for a moment and have a little chat about something called human attachment, shall we?
Picture this: a 32-year-old married woman walks into my office, suffering from symptoms that stem from prolonged abuse and neglect in her childhood. She’s overworked, detached, and struggling to connect with her partner. To her, relationships are a battlefield, and vulnerability is a dangerous weakness. Now, tell me, can an AI therapy program, even in its most advanced state, truly replace the human-to-human connection that’s so crucial for healing and meaning-making in this scenario?
The short answer: No, darling, it cannot.
You see, while an AI therapy program might be able to gather a plethora of private data and offer up some helpful information, it simply cannot provide the feeling of aliveness that comes with human interaction. The truth is, our brains need that human connection in order to fully engage in the process of developing trust in others. And it’s not just me saying this; decades of studies show that the client’s relationship with the therapist is the most effective element of psychotherapy, regardless of the methods used.
Let’s dive into the science a bit, shall we? Our attachment drive, as psychologist Janina Fisher calls it, is born with us, and its purpose is to keep us connected to adult caregivers until around age 10 as our brain develops. Along the way, we use our bodies and senses to get as much safety and love as we can from these caregivers. Through a process called resonance behavior, we intuitively mirror the communication, behavior, and emotions of those around us, forming a sort of “brain network”with other adults. Our attachment style, or schemas, is developed from these connections and stays with us well into adulthood.
Now, back to our 32-year-old patient. To overcome her damaging relationship rules, she needs a new kind of attachment connection that speaks to her senses and nervous system through the presence of another person. There’s a real risk involved in human relationships, and overcoming that risk by building trust is at the core of therapeutic change. The clients need to know that they can experience non-judgmental support, validation, and encouragement from their therapist, even when they’re hurtful or guarded. And they need to know that their therapist is human, too, with their own flaws and challenges.
So, while AI may have a lot to offer in terms of information gathering and cognitive education, it is simply impossible for it to meet human attachment needs. No matter how clever a chatbot is, it can’t offer the living human presence that connects with us non-verbally. To put it bluntly, AI “ain’t got no body.”
And let’s face it: nobody’s perfect. But when it comes to therapy, a human presence, with all its imperfections, can offer something that even the most advanced AI cannot – genuine connection and empathy. So, for now, let’s leave the task of healing human hearts and minds to the humans, shall we?
