Mark Zuckerberg Should Stick to Tech Instead of Weighing In On Mental Health

To give credit where credit is due, Mark Zuckerberg has made some courageous and smart decisions based on his technical wizardry. That said, a plethora of research points to the fact that most tech folks are hopelessly inept when it comes to emotional intelligence. Self-awareness, empathy, and people skills are often considered superfluous in the tech world, where code and data are supreme.

If Zuckerberg – who is trained to look for all solutions through the prism of technology – stuck to his lane, his tone-deaf misunderstanding of the psyche and soul of human beings would not have been exposed for the world to see. More specifically, Zuck’s latest campaign of suggesting that the solution to the oncoming mental health tsunami – including loneliness and depression – is to be found by embracing AI and bots, while intriguing, underscores the flawed thinking that the solution to social media addiction and the brainwashing of a generation can be found in the same sector as the cause of so many of the problems this generation is facing – i.e. – technology

The fallacy of Zuck’s suggestion that an AI chatbot can replace the human dynamic between a therapist and patient is well documented. It is however worth noting the refutations to highlight not only the lack of merit of Zuck’s suggestion, but also how blindly embracing this solution may well exacerbate the mental health problems that tens of millions of youngsters are now grappling with:

1).  AI cannot replicate genuine human empathy, nor can AI understand human nuances

Most AI programs rely on existing data sets, which may cause them to miss subtle details about a patient’s personality or condition.  A well-known case in point is the recent attempt by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) to replace its prevention helpline with Tessa, an AI chatbot designed to aid people struggling with eating disorders. Instead of providing users with helpful resources, Tessa dispensed weight loss advice that could have had serious consequences.

2).  Nonverbal Communication and Body Language

In a ground breaking study Albert Mehrabian found that nonverbal communication makes up 93% of human interaction. Professionals in the mental health field are trained to spot these subtle cues as an integral part of assessing a client’s emotional state. AI does not have ability to comprehend nonverbal cues.

3).  The Importance of the Human Experience in Therapy

Real psychotherapy relies on human interaction. The therapist uses their skills to gain a complete understanding of what the patient is going through, while the patient benefits from the therapist’s support and questioning. Human experience and life sagacity are not qualities that can be replaced by AI.

4).  The Therapist-Patient Relationship

There is substantial evidence which indicates that a strong relationship between the patient and therapist is a critical component of effective treatment. AI therapist cannot bond with a patient in the kind of meaningful way that a human might.

It is possible that I might have been more receptive to some of the redeeming qualities of creating an artificial sounding board if I honestly believed that the motive in promoting this new initiative was altruistic, but Zuck’s claim of benevolence would probably not receive a sympathetic ear given his mea culpa confessions over the years.

It is a well-known that Zuckerberg knew that his products were negatively impacting young people years ago. In 2021, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook, which owns Instagram, had internal evidence showing that Instagram use is linked with poorer mental health, particularly among young women. Facebook buried its findings and failed to address the problem.

One other area that would present a hurdle to Zuck’s attempt to make his case to the masses is the fact that the jury is still out on many privacy issues connected to Facebook and Instagram. The thought that content may be extrapolated from very private and personal conversations may be a sufficient deterrent to ensure that Zuckerberg’s initiative never gets real traction.

On an EQ level, Zuck does not seem to appreciate that social connection is a fundamental human need – the need for a genuine and intimate connection. On a more philosophical level, to make the argument that the very industry that has converted a generation of kids into robotic zombies living a nihilistic existence now has the perfect solution to the problem it created, is the functional equivalent of suggesting that the tool of choice to contain fires should be a state of the art flame thrower!

Zuck, may I suggest that you sit this one out – if for no other reasons that it may not be possible for someone who was the architects of the problem to suggest a blueprint for the solution?

Antony Gordon is a Fulbright Scholar and graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School.  Antony’s TEDxTalk achieved over one million views and was selected as one of the most impactful TED Talks of the decade. He is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author and the host of the critically acclaimed podcast, The Antony Gordon Show. Antony has become one of the most sought-after speakers in the Jewish world for several leading organizations.   Antony is Managing Director of Adeptus Advisors, a leading professional services firm which represents some of the most prominent public personalities in the sports, entertainment, music, and Influencer industries.