Does an AI app work better than traditional therapy?
By Siri Bandagiriye · No. A trained therapist can assess you, hold a treatment plan and take responsibility for your care; software can't. An app's real strengths are availability and cost: it's there at 2am, it's free or a few dollars a month, and there's no waitlist.
No, and I would be wary of anyone who says it does. A trained therapist can assess you, hold a treatment plan, notice what you are not saying, and take responsibility for your care. Software cannot.
Where an app wins is availability and cost. It is there at 2am, it is free or a few dollars a month, and there is no waitlist.
Think of it as a companion between the harder places in life, not a replacement for professional care.
What the research says
The American Psychological Association says even well-designed generative-AI tools do not yet have enough evidence to show they are effective or safe in mental health care.1
A major 2025 trial of a generative-AI chatbot compared it to a waitlist, not to a human therapist, and its authors said larger studies are needed to confirm effectiveness.2
In a national poll, nearly 1 in 3 people in Canada who used mental health services preferred a hybrid model combining virtual and in-person care.3
Written by Siri Bandagiriye
I've been a Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher for 30 years, and for six years a chaplain with Correctional Service Canada, sitting with people in crisis. I built Saati in Halifax as a companion for the ordinary hard days. If you'd like to see what it's like, it's free to try.
References
- American Psychological Association, Health Advisory on AI chatbots and wellness apps (2025)
- NEJM AI, Heinz et al., Randomized Trial of a Generative AI Chatbot for Mental Health Treatment (2025)
- Mental Health Commission of Canada, national poll on AI and virtual care (with Mental Health Research Canada) (2026)