From The Desk of Editor

Volume 7 Issue 11 November, 2017

Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology designed to perform activities that normally require human intelligence.

AI is spreading very fast in the field of Psychiatry. With Rapid global digitalization it has become necessary to understand and utilize the facilities of artificial intelligence for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders.

Virtual human avatar which uses AI technology has ability to carry out interactions and intelligent conversations (WATSON software, IBM). Now this technology is used for giving information and collecting basic data in mental health care settings which can serve large number of people with good accuracy.

There is a virtual consultant available where a person will be diagnosed by computer with the database it has and on basis of inputs of the patient.

There are new AI based clinical decision supports systems which has large complex data which will help clinicians to come to clinical decision easily. This is being used in Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Now there are companions based on AI which are being used for therapeutic purposes which may play big role in psychiatry in future. There are AI based interactive systems which are being used in social skill training in autistic children in non threatening environment.

Implants are being installed to deliver medications with AI technology on the basis of biofeedback mechanisms.

In India at present EMR (Electronic Medical Records) is being used for keeping patients records which can search similar details and fetches past session summary of patients for ease of consultant. Telemedicine is also being used more in mental health care setting in India. There are problems associated with AI like inability to empathize with humans, inability of establishing therapeutic alliance and rapport. There are also ethical and legal issue along with
judgment errors which needs to be addressed and guidelines to be formed before wider applications.

With many benefits AI technology is creating a new hope and this can revolutionize mental health care in coming years.