Company is launching mental health counselors who aren’t human
Jun 24, 2025
∙ Paid
The company is Sword Health.
Users will get a wristband that measures heart rate, sleep, etc.
The user has 24/7 access to an AI mental health agent, for advice and talk therapy—with a human pro as the ultimate backup.
CNBC: “‘You have an anxiety issue today, and the way you’re going to manage is to talk about it one week from now? That just doesn’t work,’ [Sword Health CEO] Bento said. ‘Mental health should be always on, where you have a problem now, and you can have immediate help in the moment’.”
Yeah. I can see where this is going.
“What do you do?”
“Well, I have a job, but I’m a professional patient.”
He’s got the wristband.
He couldn’t lift the groceries out of the car, because he’s weak, and his wife was annoyed. For him, that qualified as an anxiety attack, so he dialed into the AI agent to chat. The agent is sympathetic, of course. Always.
Mental Health Nation.
“Do you like your AI?”
“He’s fantastic. If only my husband would get the wristband, too…”
Expect a whole new range of mental health labels people can apply to themselves. Reasons to connect with their AI counselor.