The US military is developing virtual therapy for its veterans:
Wired reports on the new project:
SIM Sensei won’t replace human clinicians. Instead, it’ll supplement them, and help military clinics prioritize which patients need care most acutely, and which can wait to see a flesh-and-blood doctor. If a soldier talking to the SIM exhibits minor symptoms, the Sensei might help him or her schedule an appointment to see a human therapist in two weeks’ time. But if the Sensei detects "red flags" in an individual’s behavior — vocal patterns that signal depression, for example — the SIM could schedule that patient to see a doctor immediately.
Jesse Walker is creeped out:
I suspect this will have all the therapeutic, stress-reducing effects of encountering an automated operator on the phone.
The Dish 