Chatbots and body image: How AI is changing the treatment of eating disorders

If you were feeling low and needed to talk, would you turn to a robot? With the rise of AI Chatbot technology, many Australians are doing just that—and seeing the benefits. In this episode, Associate Professor Gemma Sharp, head of the Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Group at Monash University, explains why chatbots can successfully bridge the gap between people living with an eating disorder and access to in-person treatments, while host of the Butterfly: Let’s Talk podcast, Sam Ikin shares how having an eating disorder that doesn’t fit the stereotype can be a barrier to seeking help.

 

Useful Links

 

• Butterfly: Let’s Talk Podcast The Butterfly Foundation
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Sharp Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Group Monash University
• Specialist Women’s Mental Health Service Opens in Shepparton Alfred Health