Generative AI: Mental Health and Digital Posterity: Status, Problems and Prospects

Generative AI and Mental Health: Status, Prospects and Problems As artificial intelligence transforms mental health care, we face unprecedented opportunities—and profound ethical challenges. Can AI therapists form genuine therapeutic alliances? Should we trust algorithms to predict mental health crises? What happens when AI systems remember our most vulnerable moments, or even recreate us after death? This comprehensive examination explores the revolutionary intersection of large language models and psychological wellbeing. Across eight rigorous chapters, Paul Harrald navigates from foundational concepts of AI-augmented therapy to the frontier territories of digital phenotyping, therapeutic memory systems, and posthumous digital personas. Drawing from cutting-edge research and real-world implementations, the book addresses: How conversational agents like ChatGPT are reshaping therapeutic dialogue The promise and perils of AI predicting mental health states from digital footprints Just-in-time adaptive interventions that respond to emotional needs in real-time The ethics of AI systems that preserve therapeutic memories across providers The controversial emergence of "deadbots" and digital afterlife technologies Motivated by the author's development of OnBe—a personal AI presence system—this work bridges academic rigour with practical innovation. Each chapter builds essential frameworks for responsible development, from consent models for vulnerable populations to governance structures for posthumous AI. Essential reading for mental health professionals, AI developers, ethicists, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the future of human wellbeing in an AI-augmented world. Written from Royal Tunbridge Wells with both scholarly precision and accessible clarity, this book provides the roadmap for navigating mental health care's digital transformation. Published 2025 350+ pages Comprehensive bibliography