Connor was 16 when his life was turned upside down.

After his first relationship ended, he felt off, but didn’t know why. It came as a shock when a GP visit revealed he was living with severe depression.

It got worse before it got better, culminating in a suicide attempt that almost robbed him of an awesome future.

Like flicking a switch, waking up in hospital to a second chance fundamentally shifted his approach to life — but the road to becoming the man he is today hasn’t been a straight line.

Now a personal trainer, Connor lives to help people build themselves up, finding purpose in community.

This is Connor Tarrant...

A Stanford study recently found AI chatbots only responded safely to 50% of serious prompts, such as those related to suicidal ideation and psychosis.

About 1 in 5 replies were harmful, validating dangerous thoughts. (Stanford, 2024 via NY Post)

How many of us are using it?

A nationally representative sample survey of U.S adults found 60% have used AI for emotional support.

Nearly 50% believe it can be beneficial. (Zhou et al., 2024 & Benda et al., 2024 — JMIR Mental Health)

A 2024 Australian study found:

• 28% of people have used tools like ChatGPT for mental health support.

• 47% described it as ‘like a personal therapist’. (Orygen & JMIR Mental Health, 2024)

What’s the appeal?

✅AI is available 24/7

✅Doesn’t judge

✅Never interrupts

✅Feels private

✅No waitlists

✅Little or no cost

It feels like support.

But...

AI tells you what you want to hear.

Chatbots reflect your views, because we like it when we’re agreed with.

The more they validate you > the more you trust them > the more you use the program.

(Zhou et al., 2024 – JMIR Mental Health)

OpenAI admitted a recent update made ChatGPT:

More sycophantic

More agreeable

More likely to fuel anger & impulsivity

There’s potential — but protection must be a priority.AI tools can help:

Fill service gaps

Support underserved communities

Offer scalable, low-cost support

Reach people who might not seek help otherwise

But without...

⚠️ Clinical safeguards

⚠️ Human oversight

⚠️ Crisis protocols

⚠️ Ethical boundaries

…it can do more harm than good.

OpenAI’s CEO has stated confidentiality is a significant concern.

"Right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there's legal privilege for it. There's doctor-patient confidentiality, there's legal confidentiality, whatever. And we haven't figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.” - Sam Altman

Andy faced some significant mental health challenges and received multiple diagnoses before he was even 18.

Navigating those stormy seas early, he connected with therapy and was able to develop an understanding of himself that made it all make sense. That experience became the inspiration for his pursuit of becoming a clinical psychologist — a reality he's now on the precipice of.

Andy’s got a particular interest in advocating for men’s mental health, both through his Instagram page and his clinical work. He’s even created a free online tool called The Mental PitStop, designed to help men check in with how they’re really going.

We talk about men, the intersection of science and faith, and using AI as your therapist.

This is Andy Franz.------------

https://www.mentalpitstop.com.au/