Insights from Dr. Allison Cerezo on AI in Behavioral Health
In a recent episode of Eleos Health’s No Notes, hosted by Dr. Denny Morrison, mpathic’s Dr. Allison Cerezo, SVP of Research at mpathic, shared their expertise on AI, bias, and ethics in behavioral health. With a background in clinical psychology, academia, and community organizing, Dr. Cerezo highlighted the importance of building equitable and ethical AI tools that support both providers and patients.
Key Insights from Dr. Cerezo:
- Bias in AI is a continuum: “It’s about understanding that bias is there and doing your best to mitigate it,” they said. This requires diverse, clinically validated training data and transparent, explainable AI models.
- Clinicians are essential in AI development: Licensed clinicians bring a deep understanding of patient safety and ethics, ensuring tools align with values like “do no harm” and “do good.”
- AI can transform clinical quality: Empathic AI’s models are 700 times more effective at detecting clinical risk than human providers, enabling real-time feedback and 100% quality oversight.
- AI supports vulnerable populations: Tools like crisis hotlines can benefit from AI’s ability to analyze how individuals, such as LGBTQ+ youth, express mental health concerns.
Advice for Providers Exploring AI:
- Ensure clinicians are involved in AI development.
- Look for transparency and explainability in AI tools.
- Stay informed through resources like the APA, White House guidelines, and communities like Therapists and Tech.
Final Thoughts
AI has immense potential to transform behavioral health, but equity, ethics, and clinician involvement must remain at the forefront.
To hear the full conversation with Dr. Allison Cerezo, tune in to the No Notes podcast.
