Mental health isn’t a taboo topic anymore, especially for Gen Z. If anything, it’s front and center in Gen Z culture. Group chats, memes, songs, movies—they all tackle mental health in one way or another. So much so that Gen Z even got the hottest piece of technology on the block in AI and made it about mental health.
But how effective is AI in helping with mental health?
How Many Gen Z Adults are Using AI for Mental Health?
According to a study by Harvard Business Review, therapy and companionship are now the most common use cases for generative AI in 2025. Back in 2024, AI was mainly used by businesses. As technology became more mainstream among the masses—and especially among younger people—AI was increasingly used for personal purposes.
AI as an Accessible First Step
Though Gen Z is the first generation to talk openly about mental health, actually getting therapy and counselling isn’t always immediately accessible. Whether due to costs, lack of local providers, or long waitlists, mental health services aren’t always in reach.
A chatbot, however, is free (or at least more affordable) and is always in your pocket. AI mental health apps like Woebot, Wysa, and Youper can check in on your mood, help you reframe anxious thoughts, or simply provide a space to vent with a few screen taps.
Of course, people’s first reaction to this is that an AI chatbot isn’t a real person. No actual connection or empathy is occurring when you talk to them. How can anyone feel comforted by it?
But that, perhaps, is the point. Since an AI chatbot isn’t a real person with no thoughts or feelings of its own, there is no emotional baggage. There is complete anonymity. There is no judgment. There is no need to worry that you are “being too much” for your AI therapist. Users don’t feel scared of “getting exposed.” With a good VPN, they can ensure that their conversations aren’t sold as data as well.
And that makes AI therapy feel freeing in its own way.
The Power of Non-judgmental Personalization
Aside from accessibility, another of AI’s superpowers is personalization. Gen Z wants tools that get them, not generic advice that they think is too often given by human therapists. (Whether this line of thinking is right or not is another conversation.)
AI, supposedly more objective and less biased than human therapists (though it’s important to note that AI still learns from human data sets), can adapt its responses based on how you engage with it.
Designed with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles in mind, AI chatbots can feel human enough, effective enough to help users deal with negative thought patterns in a conversational, supportive tone. Many times, that’s enough.
Platforms like Replika or Mindspa go a step further, offering a more immersive, emotionally intelligent interaction. They learn your tone, remember past conversations, and adjust their responses. It’s not perfect, but it’s comforting in its own quirky way.
Of course, this can be a double-edged sword. An AI’s responses may feel cold and less nuanced as well, feeling generic in their own way. After all, AI may be unable to grasp the complexities of the human experience in a way that actual people can.
Although many would argue that it’s not about deep psychoanalysis or human-to-human connection anyway. It’s about having something to lean on when you’re spiralling at 2 a.m.
Not a Replacement—But a Game-Changer
The important conversation, of course, is how much of a replacement AI is for licensed therapists and psychiatrists. The obvious answer is no. It can’t diagnose complex conditions, provide human warmth, or have the expertise to see beneath the surface.
But what AI can do is fill in the gaps in the meantime. To be there as people’s first step, allowing them to be more in tune with their mental states, to manage daily stress without reaching their breaking point.
Undeniably, some unfortunately would come to see AI chatbots as full replacements. That is an issue we must be prepared to grapple with.
The Bigger Picture: Digital Wellness
Using AI for mental health is part of a broader trend. Growing up with phones in their pockets, Gen Z uses technology for pretty much everything. Prioritizing digital wellness, this generation wants tools that support them.
And that’s what AI is: another tool in the toolbox. AI is here. How we manage its pros and cons is the challenge now, and it’s one we must undertake to ensure mental health for all.