New Zealand charity introduces AI chatbot therapy for veterans

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – A charity in New Zealand has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot therapy service to provide support for the country’s veterans, RNZ News reported on Thursday.

The No Duff Charitable Trust developed the chatbot and equipped it with training in areas such as crisis support, mindfulness, and breathing exercises, with the aim of providing support to veterans in need.

The charity said the country's veterans' affairs system is not fulfilling its responsibilities and decided to take the matter into its hands, utilizing new AI technology.

According to Aaron Wood, the co-founder of the charity, the new chatbot was trained using custom data collected by No Duff over nine years of conversations with veterans.

A team of clinicians and researchers will monitor the chatbot, watching for crisis triggers and knowing when to raise the red flag, ensuring it can offer support when necessary.

The chatbot is currently in the alpha stage, meaning it requires further testing before being made available to the broader veteran community.