AI & Mental Health: Support, Risk & Reality | Lara Lewington & Ben Clark

1 in 3 adults in the UK have used AI for mental health support — but what does that actually mean? In this episode of The Age of AI, we explore the rapidly growing role of AI in emotional wellbeing, from therapy chatbots and AI companions to large language models people now turn to for comfort, advice, and connection. With expert guidance from Dr Jennifer Cearns, Lecturer in AI at the Department of Social Anthropology & Centre for Digital Trust & Society at The University of Manchester We ask: When does a chat become emotional support? Can AI genuinely help with mental health — or does it sometimes reinforce risk? And what happens when people form real emotional bonds with systems that don’t truly understand them? Alongside powerful real-world stories and expert insight, we also examine the tensions at the heart of this shift — between accessibility and safety, support and dependency, optimism and harm. From viral cases and court debates to the rise of dedicated mental health platforms like Wysa, this episode asks a critical question: Are we witnessing a revolution in care — or something we’re still not fully prepared for? #ai #techpodcast #mentalhealth #therapy 🎧 Got a question you want answered on the show? Drop it in the comments or email us at [email protected] Email: [email protected] Instagram: @theageofaipod YouTube: @theageofaipod Linkedin: The Age of AI The Age of AI is brought to you by AIR, a launchpad for researchers to create innovative AI startups. Supported by Responsible Ai UK, an international ecosystem for responsible AI research and innovation, and delivered by Future Worlds, the tech startup accelerator at the University of Southampton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices