Rethinking the Foundations of Generative AI Through Mental Health

Munmun De Choudhury
Professor, School of Interactive Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology

Sponsored by The Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS).
Supported by the School of Computer Science.

Abstract: Generative AI systems are no longer just tools — they are becoming active participants in how people make sense of themselves, seek support, and navigate moments of vulnerability. Nowhere is this shift more consequential than in mental health, where large language models (LLMs) are increasingly mediating help-seeking, shaping perceptions of care, and producing guidance at scale. This talk positions digital mental health as a critical testbed for interrogating the foundations of generative AI, where questions of reliability, alignment, and human impact are especially salient.

Drawing on empirical research, I describe how LLMs participate in mental health discourse: as conversational agents, sources of guidance, and mediators of support. While these systems demonstrate remarkable fluency and scalability, they also exhibit important limitations: variability in correctness and consistency, cultural and therapeutic misalignment, and challenges in capturing the nuance of lived experience. I further discuss emerging risks associated with generative systems in this context, including over-reliance, sycophantic responses, and the potential erosion of human agency and social connection. These findings underscore a broader tension in generative AI: systems optimized for engagement and responsiveness may not align with the goals of care, safety, and long-term wellbeing. I conclude by outlining a human-centered foundation for generative AI — one that foregrounds identity, agency, and institutional context, and advances toward systems that are not only capable of generating language, but are accountable to the human conditions they shape.

Bio: Munmun De Choudhury is J. Z. Liang Professor at the School of Interactive Computing and Co-Lead of Patient-Centered Care Delivery at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta-Pediatric Technology Center in Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. De Choudhury is known for her contributions to the fields of computational social science, human-computer interaction, and digital mental health. Through fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, Dr. De Choudhury and her collaborators have contributed significantly to advancing the development of computational techniques for early detection and intervention in mental health, as well as in unpacking how social media use benefits or harms mental well-being.

De Choudhury's contributions have been recognized through awards like the 2023 SIGCHI Societal Impact Award, the 2023 ICWSM and the 2022 Web Science Trust Test-of-Time Awards, the 2021 ACM-W Rising Star Award, as well as nearly two dozen paper awards. In 2024, she was inducted into the SIGCHI Academy and in 2025 was named an ACM Distinguished Member. Beyond her academic contributions, Dr. De Choudhury is a persistent contributor to policy-framing and advocacy initiatives, and is frequently sought for expert advice to governments and media. Notably, Dr. De Choudhury was an invited contributor to the Office of U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 Advisory on The Healing Effects of Social Connection. Currently, she serves as a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Commission for Social Connection at the World Health Organization and also advises the World Bank.