Something shifted in 2023. When ChatGPT arrived and generative AI became part of everyday life, people stopped dismissing chatbot therapists as gimmicks. They started seeing them as potentially useful tools for understanding themselves.
A new Curtin University study tracked this exact moment. Researchers surveyed people before and after the AI boom took off, and the data was clear: public attitudes toward AI-supported well-being tools changed dramatically. What had felt like science fiction suddenly felt credible.
"As generative AI entered everyday life, people began to view chatbot 'therapists' less as gimmicks and more as potentially credible tools for self-reflection," says Warren Mansell, who leads the research team at Curtin's School of Population Health.
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Start Your News DetoxThe study also revealed what people actually wanted from these tools. It wasn't a replacement for human therapists. Users valued a curious, questioning style—one that helped them explore their own goals and problems from new angles. They wanted to think more clearly, not be told what to think.
Building something better
That insight is now shaping Curtin's next-generation chatbot, called Monti, which is being redesigned with actual users in the loop. The team's motto for the tool says it all: "Notice More, Explore Further, Think Wiser." It's a catalyst for reflection, not a substitute for human connection.
The researchers are clear about what matters: evidence-based design, transparency about what the AI can and can't do, safety monitoring that actually works, and a real understanding of what people need. These aren't afterthoughts—they're built into Monti from the start.
The work suggests that when done carefully, AI chatbots can play a genuine role in mental health. They can help people clarify what's bothering them, explore their concerns more deeply, and recognize when they need to talk to a human therapist. That's not nothing. For someone on a waiting list for a therapist, or someone in a country where mental health support is scarce, a well-designed chatbot could be a real bridge.
Monti is expected to roll out to Australian universities by mid-2026. The next phase will show whether this shift in public trust translates into actual benefit.
