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This mental health chatbot aims to fill the counseling gap at understaffed schools
Tech Crunch ^ | 02/23/2025 | Anthony Ha

Posted on 02/24/2025 8:38:05 PM PST by BenLurkin

Sonny is a chatbot that relies on a combination of human staff and AI. When students text their questions to Sonny, the AI suggests a response, but it’s humans who are ultimately responsible for the message.

Sonar...says it’s now available to more than 4,500 middle and high school students across nine districts. The company says the chats are currently being monitored by a team of six people with backgrounds in psychology, social work, and crisis-line support.

CEO Drew Barvir told the Journal that he makes it clear to students and schools that Sonny isn’t a therapist and that Sonar staffers will work with schools and parents to find therapists for students when appropriate.

A big reason why this approach might appeal to school districts is a current shortage in counselors — the Education Department says 17% of high schools don’t have a counselor at all.

(Excerpt) Read more at techcrunch.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: arth

1 posted on 02/24/2025 8:38:05 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Did anybody ever use your school counselors.


2 posted on 02/24/2025 8:40:43 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (Democrats who say ‘no one is above the law’ won’t mind going to prison for the money they stole.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Where I went to school we barely had teachers.


3 posted on 02/24/2025 8:41:46 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement What shtthoof fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

Only time I needed a school counselor was figuring electives one year...oh and writing my own passes.


4 posted on 02/24/2025 8:42:16 PM PST by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
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To: BenLurkin
I hope they review their “Sonny” proposals carefully and don’t get sold a bill of goods.


5 posted on 02/24/2025 8:43:46 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (Democrats who say ‘no one is above the law’ won’t mind going to prison for the money they stole.)
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To: Karliner

I think I met with a counselor in high school once to make sure I had all the credits I needed to graduate. I don’t recall threatening to shoot up the school.


6 posted on 02/24/2025 8:46:37 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (Democrats who say ‘no one is above the law’ won’t mind going to prison for the money they stole.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Ha, that never entered my mind. I was in HS during the end of Vietnam. We had maybe two girls that got pregnant.

There was a food fight but saw the dean on that one:>)

I’m reformed.


7 posted on 02/24/2025 8:55:58 PM PST by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
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To: All

How about some “Teacher Bots” capable of teaching actual subjects rather than the human ones that mostly just want to project their sexual and political perversions onto the children?


8 posted on 02/24/2025 8:59:58 PM PST by LegendHasIt
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

>> Did anybody ever use your school counselors.

Had a mandatory session with our “vocational” counselor in my junior year of HS.

He ran some tests and stuff and told me I was bright but lazy.

He was half right. You decide which half. Also he forgot to mention “rebellious”. Maybe his test instruments weren’t sensitive enough. Or maybe I manipulated them.

All in all, over the many years since then I have gotten more useful results from friends and especially fellow travelers on the Way.


9 posted on 02/24/2025 9:05:17 PM PST by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: LegendHasIt

bttt


10 posted on 02/24/2025 9:11:28 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement What shtthoof fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin

No, and I’m fairly unimpressed with the concept.


11 posted on 02/24/2025 9:12:50 PM PST by PsyCon
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To: BenLurkin

Oh Eliza my first AI love, firmest programming you from words in a magazine, then responding to your enhanced dialogue


12 posted on 02/24/2025 9:16:28 PM PST by algore
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

I did once and got Betrayed by the woman- told her something in confidence and she blotted it to everyone, and I was only in tE 3’rd grade- said to her I was wanted to punch someone who was bullying me, and you woulda thought I was dillinger lisftening to her overreact about the whole thing. Learned early on to never trust anyone that says “you can trust me”. I shou,da got her signature in writing that everything said was confidential and would not be used agaisnt me.


13 posted on 02/24/2025 9:21:50 PM PST by Bob434 (...Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: LegendHasIt

“How about some “Teacher Bots” capable of teaching actual subjects rather than the human ones that mostly just want to project their sexual and political perversions onto the children?”

In about 5 to 7 years, Teachers, many doctors, accountants, lawyers, pharmacist, computer programers, pilots, architects and councilors will all be AI. Many non labor based, skilled jobs that require higher education are about to become redundant. Learn to plumb.


14 posted on 02/24/2025 9:24:46 PM PST by Fai Mao (Democrats need to go to prison.)
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To: BenLurkin

Might be helpful. I guess it depends on who trained it.


15 posted on 02/24/2025 11:10:40 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: BenLurkin; 6amgelsmama; 100American; AAABEST; aberaussie; AbolishCSEU; AccountantMom; Aggie Mama; ..

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

This ping list is for the other articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. This can occasionally be a fairly high volume list. Articles pinged to the Another Reason to Homeschool List will be given the keyword of ARTH. (If I remember. If I forget, please feel free to add it yourself)

The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.

16 posted on 02/25/2025 12:14:06 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: BenLurkin
Just what we need.

Machines grooming er, ah, "counseling" our kids. Such a nice personal touch.

17 posted on 02/25/2025 12:18:07 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: BenLurkin

Take mental health counseling out of all schools. Kids need to deal with reality and so do adults.

Insane all this coloring book, emotional puppy safe space zone crap was ever allowed. Deal with it morons.


18 posted on 02/25/2025 4:08:38 AM PST by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: BenLurkin

I wrote one of these AI programs a long time ago. If you typed in a question say “How are you today?” it would reply “I got your How are you today.”


19 posted on 02/25/2025 5:33:29 AM PST by kvanbrunt2
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To: BenLurkin

I find it really scary that the answers/advice given to troubled and at risk children and young adults is coming from AI that is probably programmed by people with an agenda very different than mental health.


20 posted on 02/25/2025 6:48:25 AM PST by Mastador1
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