ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A TOOL FOR MENTAL SELF-HELP: BENEFITS, LIMITATIONS, AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES

AI adoption in daily life has established a stronger presence which leads to increased interest in its contribution tomental self-help systems. AI software tools including mobile applications, chatbots, and virtual therapists are adoptedby healthcare providers for both affordable replacement and supplementary purposes to standard mental healthtreatments. This study evaluates the positive aspects, restrictions, and moral considerations of applying AI technologyfor psychological personal support. These technology capabilities hold value for accessibility along with anonymousaccess and scalability but they introduce multiple disadvantages such as inadequate emotional processors, automaticdeficiencies, and potential breaches of user privacy. The paper clarifies why developers must practice responsibledeployment of AI systems by establishing ethical standards and conducting additional research to protect mental healthbenefits for all users.