Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Psychiatry

An estimated 792 million people live with mental health disorders worldwide-more than one in ten people-and this number is expected to grow in the shadow of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Unfortunately, there aren't enough mental health professionals to treat all these people. Can artificial intelligence (AI) help? While many psychiatrists have different views on this question, recent developments suggest AI may change the practice of psychiatry for both clinicians and patients.