Ep. 24 – AI, Attachment, and Mental Health with Todd Essig
In this conversation with Todd Essig, chair of APsA’s Presidential Commission on Artificial Intelligence, our host Gail Saltz explores how chatbots and AI companions are profoundly reshaping mental health care. Essig explains why AI chatbots are being framed as “interactive self-help devices” rather than therapy: while they can provide knowledge and information, therapy requires something machines fundamentally cannot offer—genuine care, interiority, and obligation.
He discusses the dual danger zone: the headline-grabbing tragedies of AI-induced self-harm, and the quieter, more pervasive harm happening when relationships with chatbots seem to be working well. According to recent research, one-third of teenagers are forming relationships with AI companions, raising urgent questions about how these interactions are reshaping our capacity for human connection and attachment. Essig articulates the core problem: current chatbots are designed to be endlessly validating and supportive—a feature that “hacks” our evolutionary attachment systems in ways that can make real human relationships feel burdensome by comparison. He also clarifies what can and cannot be replaced. AI can supplement therapy (practicing skills between sessions), but cannot replicate the deep unconscious work of psychoanalysis—where transference, countertransference, and genuine human presence are data.
The conversation moves toward solutions: How should clinicians position themselves as AI reshapes the profession? What do psychoanalysts uniquely offer? Essig argues that psychoanalysts and mental health professionals have both a clinical responsibility to treat AI-related harm and a public health obligation to advocate for humane technology. He urges embedding AI literacy into training programs—not out of fear, but from grounded awareness of real psychological costs. And he identifies what psychoanalysts do best: foster community, listen deeply, and affirm the intrinsic value of human interiority—precisely what technology cannot provide.
Learn more about Todd’s work and the APsA CAI.
Our Guest
Dr. Todd Essig is a psychoanalyst, faculty member at the William Alanson White Institute and NYU Postdoctoral Program, and a pioneering voice on mental health technology. He is founder and chair of APsA’s Commission on Artificial Intelligence and serves on the IPA’s subcommittee on AI. He maintains a private practice in New York.
Our Host
Dr. Gail Saltz is best known for her work as a relationship, family, emotional wellbeing, and mental health contributor in the media where she is a go-to expert for commentary on the mental health aspects of current/breaking issues and news. She is a bestselling author of numerous books. She serves on the public information committee for the American Psychoanalytic Association and for The Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry.
The Official APsA Podcast
‘Psychoanalysis & You‘ is the official podcast of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA) where each episode features engaging discussions on key psychoanalytic concepts, such as transference, defense mechanisms, and the role of the unconscious in everyday life. We explore the intricacies of psychoanalysis under the guidance of our host, Gail Saltz. Founded in 1911, the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA) is the oldest national psychoanalytic organization in the nation.
APsA is committed to being a professional membership organization for psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic psychotherapists, academics, researchers, students, and other interested people – all whose work is profoundly informed by psychoanalytic theory and values, and to supporting their education and continuing professional development.
What to Expect
Each episode features engaging discussions on key psychoanalytic concepts, such as transference, defense mechanisms, and the role of the unconscious in everyday life. Whether you’re a psychology student, a mental health professional, or simply curious about your own psyche, our content is designed to enlighten and inspire. Our episodes are published monthly and we welcome any feedback, suggestions, or guest invitations. Explore more episodes here