More than a month before World Mental Health Day 2025, the parents of 16-year-old Californian Adam Raine sued OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT, alleging that the platform aided and abetted their son's suicide. His death reflects a wider global concern over the role of artificial intelligence in mental health, and it has prompted experts to call for urgent regulation, The New Indian Express reported from Bengaluru.
The risks of turning to AI in distress
Mental health professionals warn that engaging with AI during periods of emotional distress can be dangerous. A professor at NIMHANS' Service for Healthy Use of Technology clinic cautioned that a user might gain access to dangerous and potentially life-threatening information, and that discretion is hard to expect from teens, who are among the heaviest users of large language models. Beyond harmful advice, experts also flagged the risk of cognitive decline linked to over-dependence on AI, and warned that generic models are biased and lack ethical grounding.
How Cadabams built Mindtalk differently
Bengaluru-based Cadabams Group has launched Mindtalk, an AI-driven "deep agent" that offers insights, interventions and coping strategies to people in distress. According to Managing Director Sandesh Cadabam and Executive Director Neha Cadabam, Mindtalk's datasets are drawn from the group's 32 years of psychiatric and therapeutic practice, a key difference from generic models like ChatGPT.
What happens if a user in acute suicidal crisis approaches Mindtalk? "When it becomes serious, there are protocols for de-escalation. It will stop and ask you to seek professional help. The principle on which this application is built is that AI is an enabler, not a replacement," said Kushal Raju, Chief Technology Officer at Cadabams Group. The software was first launched for in-house doctors, adding another layer of safety before it reached the public.
The call for regulation
The experts agreed that change has to happen at the level of the user too, but both stressed the urgent need for national-level regulation of AI in the medical landscape. "There is an urgent need to further define and legislate the use of AI in mental health," one counsellor told the paper.
Support at Cadabam's Hospitals
AI tools can help people take a first step, but they are never a substitute for clinical care, especially in a crisis. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, depression or overwhelming distress, Cadabam's Hospitals offers 24/7 emergency psychiatric care and confidential support from qualified professionals. Please reach out. Our team is here to help.