New Yorkers are increasingly seeking mental health services, while commercial artificial intelligence (AI) products are advertising themselves as forms of “therapy,” “counseling,” or “emotional support.” Many of these tools operate entirely outside New York’s licensure, regulatory, and ethical oversight systems. As a result, they can give the false impression of professional mental-health care without providing the training, accountability, or safeguards required of licensed practitioners.

 This lack of oversight creates serious risks. AI tools may offer misleading guidance, inappropriate interventions, or improper diagnostic language, all of which can harm vulnerable individuals who believe they are receiving legitimate care. Such unregulated practices are unacceptable in New York State, where consumer protection, public safety, and professional mental-health standards must remain non-negotiable. 

Unregulated AI undermines the integrity of the social work profession. When companies offer AI “therapy” without license, supervision, and ethical obligations, it devalues the training, expertise, and regulatory standards required of social workers and other licensed clinicians. It also misleads the public by blurring the line between legitimate mental-health care and unregulated technological simulations of care. 

S8484(Gonzalez) / A9106 (Simon)- the Oversight of Technology in Mental Health Care Act -directly addresses this gap. The bill sets clear boundaries for how AI can be used in mentalhealth contexts and ensures that technology supplements, rather than replaces, licensed human care. By establishing accountability, transparency, and consumer protections, this legislation safeguards both the public and the integrity of the helping professions.