To chat or bot to chat: Ethical issues with using chatbots in mental health (1 credit hour)

Program Summary:  This course examines key ethical considerations related to the use of mental health chatbots and highlights a 5-principle ethical framework that includes the principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, respect for autonomy, justice, and explicability.  The course applies this five-principle framework to issues of human involvement, evidence base, data collection, storage and use, and unexpected disclosure of crimes.   Four ethical recommendations are offered to guide the design and use of mental health chatbots.

This course is recommended for social workers and is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  This course is not recommended for NBCC ethics credit.

Reading:  To chat or bot to chat:  Ethical issues with using chatbots in mental health Authors:  Simon Coghlan, Kobi Leins, and Simon D’Alfonso Publisher: Sage Journals

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Course Objectives:  To enhance professional practice, values, skills and knowledge by exploring key ethical considerations related to the use of mental health chatbots.

Learning Objectives:  Identify key ethical considerations related to the use of mental health chatbots. Apply the five-principle ethical framework to an important mental health chatbot issue.  Describe ethical recommendations for future mental health chatbot design and use.

Course Available Until: June 30, 2028.

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1: Our tendency to ascribe to computers human traits and intentions which we may know they lack describes the
 
 
 
 
2: The five AI ethics principles are
 
 
3: Avoid causing physical, social or mental harm to users describes which AI ethics principle?  (see Table 2.)
 
 
 
 
 
4: Treat users without unfair bias, discrimination or inequity describes which AI ethics principle?  (see Table 2.)
 
 
 
 
 
5: Provide to users sufficient transparency about the nature and effects of the technology and be accountable for its design and deployment describes which AI ethics principle?  (see Table 2.)
 
 
 
 
 
6: Human supervision is required to ensure that chatbots operate as desired.
 
 
7: Where mental health chatbots pose risks of some harm but also promise some degree of benefit, judgment must be used to balance the principles of
 
 
 
 
8: When chatbots lack a strong evidence base, this may lead to avoidable harm to people with mental health concerns and thus fail to meet the principle of
 
 
 
 
 
9: Which ethical principle involves respect for a person's values (e.g. their interests in privacy) and their ability to make decisions based on those values?
 
 
 
 
 
10: An ethical duty to report crimes like child abuse or domestic violence could involve which ethical principle?
 
 
 
 
11: Accountability is described as a means of ensuring that the design and use of chatbots
 
 
 
 
 
 

In order to purchase or take this course, you will need to log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a free account.

After you log in, a link will appear here that will allow you to purchase this course.

Review our pre-reading study guide.

G.M. Rydberg-Cox, MSW, LSCSW is the Continuing Education Director at Free State Social Work and responsible for the development of this course.  She received her Masters of Social Work in 1996 from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago and she has over 20 years of experience.  She has lived and worked as a social worker in Chicago, Boston, and Kansas City.  She has practiced for many years in the area of hospital/medical social work.  The reading materials for this course were developed by another organization.

Course Available Until: June 30, 2028.
Filed under: Ethics, Technology