AI and occupational injustice: A call for responsible change

We often talk about aging as a problem. But I see it differently. Aging is another way humans evolve. AI doesn't make us younger, but it's reshaping how we learn and how we connect with the world. Older adults are no longer just recipients of care—they're becoming creators of new industries and new value. Health coaching, care platforms, art and education, connecting local communities—their experience, combined with AI, is changing the world in ways we didn't expect. Innovation in the AI era isn't the privilege of youth. When experience meets innovation, aging becomes another force for designing the future. #SilverInnovation #AIandHumanity #HealthyAging   #ActiveAging #LifelongLearning #HumanPotential #FutureofWork

There has been a lot of hype around the use of AI in mental health and health care more broadly in the last ~12 months. AI is reshaping everything from hiring to healthcare, but can it truly support mental health, can it be trusted, or are we just automating empathy? I asked myself this very question. Let’s explore. Globally, over 70% of people still lack access to timely mental-health support (WHO, 2024). 50% of those needing treatment in the UK don’t receive it. Waitlists are over 12 months in most parts of the country. Shockingly high numbers given the number of platforms in the market. This suggests we need to reframe our thinking and look to innovation for more advanced solutions. In my opinion, this gap won’t be filled by human therapists alone, we simply don’t have enough (quality) clinicians, nor can we train more clinicians fast enough to fill the deficit (and that’s without considering where budgets come from to support this work!) When used ethically, AI can triage need, personalise care, and offer 24/7 interventions that will complement human therapy, not replace it. Early studies from the University of Cambridge (2024) found AI-based cognitive behavioural tools reduced mild anxiety and stress scores by 32% after six weeks. But the risk lies in replacing the human touch with tech.. Trust, data ethics, and clinical oversight must evolve as fast as the tech. For HR leaders, this means choosing solutions that combine clinical evidence and personalisation and technology that seeks to extend access, not alienate employees. Do you see AI as support or a threat in workplace wellbeing?  ♻️ Repost to support the leaders in your network.  🔔 Follow Laura Stembridge for more insights on the future of mental health. #ai #thoughtleadership #workplacementalhealth #innovation #healthtech

How AI Can Truly Combat Social Isolation The challenge of social isolation is a silent public health crisis, with damages comparable to smoking. It accelerates dementia and even death. The question isn't if AI can help, but how it can move beyond superficial fixes to create meaningful human connection. The current trend of offering robots and chatbots as "alternatives" to human interaction risks perpetuating, even exacerbating, the problem. Social isolation is defined as the objective paucity of meaningful and positive social contacts with other human beings. AI researchers must collaborate with social scientists and deeply reflect on this essence before a solution can be found. We need a deeper, bolder vision. AI as a Bridge, Not a Substitute Instead of simply talking to a machine, AI's power should be harnessed to serve as a bridge between isolated individuals and other human beings. Here are smarter, deeper applications for AI to truly reduce social isolation, especially among older adults: Mapping and Integration: Use AI to accurately identify and map socially isolated older adults, with the goal of socially integrating them (if they wish) and ensuring their safety, particularly during natural disasters. Virtual Human Connection: Develop AI-honed applications that facilitate easy, high-quality video interactions with human beings for company, information, and even telehealth visits, especially for those in remote areas. Cognitive Support for Interaction: AI can be used to jog the memory and thinking abilities of people with cognitive impairment, helping them interact more easily and confidently with others, and even rehearse difficult future conversations. Systemic Support: Move beyond the individual user to apply AI in systems used by healthcare professionals and government officials to effectively support and connect socially isolated older adults at the city, state, and federal levels. The common thread in all these high-impact uses is that AI serves as the catalyst and bridge to physicians, family members, friends, and society at large. The immense deep thinking capabilities of AI, powered by deep learning, must be directed toward fostering social integration, community involvement, and social justice. We call on AI researchers and funders to adopt an interdisciplinary, reflective, and culturally humble approach. Let's celebrate, design, and fund AI technologies that are laser-focused on connecting human beings, with special attention paid to those who are most isolated. The sky is the limit when AI connects us, not isolates us. #AIforGood #SocialIsolation #PublicHealth #DeepLearning #CommunityConnection #Intergenerational

Half of US adults use chatbots for mental health support. Zero regulations oversee them. They're being used for clinical work despite not being trained or licensed to do it. This is the AI regulation gap that actually matters. Spring Health just released VERA-MH—an open-sourced benchmark for ethical AI in mental health—because the real problem isn't that LLMs are bad at helping people. It's that everyone treats them like licensed clinicians when they're actually just really smart friends without accountability. The model is interesting: Instead of gatekeeping, they opened it. Instead of Spring Health owning the standard, they crowdsourced it with ethicists, academics, clinicians. Instead of waiting for regulation, they built the thing and asked the industry to improve it. What keeps April Koh (CEO, Spring Health) up at night: People don't understand there's no oversight or regulation. Development and innovation are happening behind closed doors while millions of vulnerable people are already depending on these tools. This isn't a call for slower innovation. It's a call for collaborative standards that don't require government to catch up. The companies that move first on this? They become the trusted foundation for whatever regulation eventually follows. This is how you lead with humanity first. #AI #ResponsibleAI #Healthcare #Startups #Regulation

"AI is not a licensed professional," the social worker told Kentucky lawmakers. Outside, teenagers were getting therapy advice from their phones. The gap was widening. This scene from Kentucky's AI Task Force meeting captures our moment perfectly. The promise is real: • Mental health support accessible 24/7 • Multilingual capabilities • Affordable options in underserved areas • Help when human therapists aren't available But the concerns run deep. AI chatbots can't read body language. They miss crisis signals. They can't be held accountable when things go wrong. Yet kids are already turning to them for emotional support. Kentucky passed Senate Bill 4 this year. It requires AI transparency. Users must know they're talking to a machine, not a human. Licensed professionals must be involved in development. Safety over engagement metrics. This isn't about stopping innovation. It's about doing it right. The mental health crisis is real. Technology can help. But we need guardrails that protect the people seeking help. The teenagers outside that meeting deserve both accessible care and safe care. How do we bridge this gap between promise and protection? #MentalHealth #AIRegulation #HealthcarePolicy 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲꞉ https://lnkd.in/gSHZkGcr

Technology can be powerful, but it becomes truly meaningful when guided by empathy, creativity, and care. Earlier this year, I co-led a workshop with Amahl Williams for Bristol Community College, exploring how AI can ethically and compassionately enhance student mental health support. That experience reminded me that AI doesn’t solely automate processes, it can be a powerful amplifier. At the AI-Powered Women Summit, I asked myself again: How can I, a public health leader and spoken word artist collaborate with AI? This moment from my reflection poem about the Summit, Tech & Humanity, begins to answer that: 🎥 “AI cannot replace my lived experience.
It cannot hold the fusion of spoken word, public health, and sacred journey.
But it can be a connector, a good and solid bridge between pain and possibility.” #AI #Leadership #TechAndHumanity #Creativity #PublicHealth #Innovation #WomenInTech #spokenword #Poetry #AIPoweredWomenSummit #MIT

Numerous colleagues in behavioral health are feeling edgy about AI platforms & tools in our industry. I’m not so anxious (maybe I’ll be eating 🐦⬛ a year from now.) I suspect these systems can supportively de-bulk administrative sludge and provide helpful guideposts for provider workflows. They won’t replace human factors and direct service carte blanche. We also can’t attach ourselves to ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ mindsets in healthcare. That’s us fearfully holding-on to the wrong side of history. We need to hold the tension between what has worked and what can work differently (aka better) moving forward. 💡 Person-focus + technological support systems can exist in balance! ⚖️ Let’s future-proof behavioral health, y’all! 🙌🏻

Children turn to AI chatbots for emotional support while lawmakers debate safety. The technology moved faster than the policy. Now Kentucky is catching up. The gap between innovation and regulation is real. Kids are already using these tools. Kentucky's AI Task Force recently examined chatbots in mental health. The discussion revealed both sides of this complex issue. The promise: • Increased accessibility to mental health support • Affordable options for underserved communities • 24/7 availability when human therapists aren't accessible • Multilingual capabilities The concerns are serious: • No crisis detection abilities • Cannot read nonverbal cues • No professional accountability • Privacy and data protection risks Brenda Rosen from the National Association of Social Workers put it bluntly: "AI is not a licensed professional and does not protect the public." Kentucky passed Senate Bill 4 in 2025. It requires transparency about AI use and involves licensed professionals in chatbot development. This isn't about stopping innovation. It's about doing it safely. The stakes are too high to get this wrong. We're talking about mental health support for vulnerable populations. How do we balance accessibility with safety in mental healthcare technology? #MentalHealth #AIRegulation #HealthcarePolicy 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲꞉ https://lnkd.in/gMRNrCqT

Children turn to AI chatbots for emotional support while lawmakers debate safety. The technology moved faster than the policy. Now Kentucky is catching up. The gap between innovation and regulation is real. Kids are already using these tools. Kentucky's AI Task Force recently examined chatbots in mental health. The discussion revealed both sides of this complex issue. The promise: • Increased accessibility to mental health support • Affordable options for underserved communities • 24/7 availability when human therapists aren't accessible • Multilingual capabilities The concerns are serious: • No crisis detection abilities • Cannot read nonverbal cues • No professional accountability • Privacy and data protection risks Brenda Rosen from the National Association of Social Workers put it bluntly: "AI is not a licensed professional and does not protect the public." Kentucky passed Senate Bill 4 in 2025. It requires transparency about AI use and involves licensed professionals in chatbot development. This isn't about stopping innovation. It's about doing it safely. The stakes are too high to get this wrong. We're talking about mental health support for vulnerable populations. How do we balance accessibility with safety in mental healthcare technology? #MentalHealth #AIRegulation #HealthcarePolicy 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲꞉ https://lnkd.in/gMRNrCqT

"AI is not a licensed professional," the social worker told Kentucky lawmakers. Outside, teenagers were getting therapy advice from their phones. The gap was widening. This scene from Kentucky's AI Task Force meeting captures our moment perfectly. The promise is real: •Mental health support accessible 24/7 •Multilingual capabilities •Affordable options in underserved areas •Help when human therapists aren't available But the concerns run deep. AI chatbots can't read body language. They miss crisis signals. They can't be held accountable when things go wrong. Yet kids are already turning to them for emotional support. Kentucky passed Senate Bill 4 this year. It requires AI transparency. Users must know they're talking to a machine, not a human. Licensed professionals must be involved in development. Safety over engagement metrics. This isn't about stopping innovation. It's about doing it right. The mental health crisis is real. Technology can help. But we need guardrails that protect the people seeking help. The teenagers outside that meeting deserve both accessible care and safe care. How do we bridge this gap between promise and protection? #MentalHealth #AIRegulation #HealthcarePolicy 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: https://lnkd.in/etJgBAWD