Among psychologists, AI use is up, but so are concerns

(Press-News.org) More than half of psychologists experimented with artificial intelligence tools in their practices in the past year, but almost all cite concerns about how the technology may affect their patients and society, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2025 Practitioner Pulse Survey.

This annual survey, conducted by APA and its companion organization, APA Services, Inc., was completed by 1,742 psychologists in September 2025. It found that 56% of psychologists reported using AI tools to assist with their work at least once in the past 12 months, up from 29% in 2024. And close to three in 10 psychologists (29%) said they used AI on at least a monthly basis – more than twice as many who said the same in 2024 (11%). These technologies can support psychologists in various ways, from providing administrative support to augmenting clinical care.

However, as psychologists grow more familiar with AI, they are also becoming more attuned to its potential risks. More than nine in 10 psychologists (92%) cited concerns about the use of AI tools in psychology, most commonly potential data breaches (67% vs. 59% in 2024), unanticipated social harms (64% vs. 54%), biases in the input and output (63% vs. 54%), a lack of rigorous testing to mitigate risks (61% vs. 51%) and inaccurate output or “hallucinations” (60% vs.44%).

“Artificial intelligence can help ease some of the pressures that psychologists are facing—for instance, by increasing efficiency and improving access to care—but human oversight remains essential,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. “Patients need to know they can trust their provider to identify and mitigate risks or biases that arise from using these technologies in their treatment.”

While 38% of psychologists worried that AI may make some of their job duties obsolete in the future, few psychologists are relying on AI to help with the complex tasks required to treat their patients. Approximately one in 10 psychologists who used AI (8%) said that they used it to assist with clinical diagnosis, and only 5% said they used chatbot assistance for patients or clients.

Among psychologists who used AI to assist with their work, the most common uses included assistance with writing emails and other materials (52%), generating content (33%), summarizing clinical notes or articles (32%) and note-taking (22%) – routine tasks that often demand time and energy from psychologists that they’d rather spend with patients. Overall, more than three in five psychologists (62%) said that advancements in technology are helping them work more efficiently and accurately.

“Psychologists are drawn to this field because they’re passionate about improving peoples’ lives, but they can lose hours each day on paperwork and managing the often byzantine requirements of insurance companies,” said Evans. “Leveraging safe and ethical AI tools can increase psychologists’ efficiency, allowing them to reach more people and better serve them.”

Before using AI tools to assist with clinical care, APA recommendations for psychologists include:

Obtaining informed consent from patients by clearly communicating the use, benefits and risks of AI tools. Evaluate AI tools for potential biases that could potentially worsen disparities in mental health outcomes. Review AI tools to check for compliance with relevant data privacy and security laws and regulations. Understand how patient/client data are used, stored or shared by companies that provide AI tools. Despite the use of new technology to manage administrative burdens, the survey revealed that psychologists continue to struggle with insurance requirements and demands for treatment. Fewer than two-thirds of psychologists (62%) said that they accept some form of insurance, often because of insufficient reimbursement rates and struggles with pre-authorization requirements, audits and other administrative issues.

And while psychologists’ stress levels and work-life balance have improved since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly half of all psychologists said that they do not have openings for new patients (46%) and that their patients’ symptoms are increasing in severity (45%), indicating that the mental health crisis is not resolved yet.        

Methodology

The APA Practitioner Pulse Survey series has been conducted annually since 2020. The survey was conducted online and distributed via email using a probability-based random sample. Invitations were sent to a sample of 30,000 on Sept. 3, 2025, and several reminder emails were sent to encourage survey completion. The survey closed on Sept. 29, with a completion rate of 6.6%. A full methodology is available.

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