AI is coming to mental health care in the U.S., aiming to stretch therapists’ work and make it more effective

“It just feels like I’m talking to somebody who cares.”

LIMBIC CEO ROSS HARPER ON THE COMPANY’S THERAPY CHATBOT

AI is coming to mental health care in the U.S., aiming to stretch therapists’ work and make it more effective.

Psychotherapy company Limbic, which already works with the U.K.’s National Health Service, is bringing its AI therapy assistant to the U.S.

How does it work? Limbic’s chatbot, which the company says is the first of its kind in America, works through an app on a patient’s phone — in conjunction with a human clinician.

Patients can send messages to the bot about what they’re thinking and feeling, and the bot follows therapy protocols in responding — using artificial intelligence and a separate statistical model to ensure the responses are accurate and helpful.

A therapist provides input for the AI to guide its conversations. And the AI reports back to the therapist with notes from its chats, better informing the patient’s future therapy sessions.

“This is allowing the human therapists to stretch a little bit further,” said Ross Harper, the founder and CEO of the company, emphasizing the bot isn’t delivering treatment but making it more effective. “It’s going to support me 24-7 out in the real world … maybe while I’m waiting for treatment, maybe in between sessions.”

The backstory: The company received medical device approval in the U.K., where more than 200,000 patients have used it.

The company is exploring FDA approval in the U.S.

Its entry into the American market comes with a $7 million round of funding, led by Khosla Ventures, and Limbic has lined up U.S. providers who’ll work with the company.