“Chatbots have changed my life”

For many of us, AI chatbots may simply be an interesting novelty, but for some, they are proving to be transformative.

Yasmin Shaheen Zafar from North Yorkshire Dyslexia, Movement disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder).

These symptoms caused her to struggle with written assignments, and that’s when AI came into her life.

“I [popular AI chatbot] “Jasper changed my life,” says Shaheen Zafar, a licensed psychotherapist. “He became my friend.”

She uses Jasper to refine the structure and spelling of her written work, which includes a recently published self-help book for neurodiverse people.

The term is an umbrella term for conditions and disorders such as dyslexia, schizophrenia, and ADHD. Tourette’s syndrome, Obsessive-compulsive disorder(Obsessive-compulsive disorder).

London-based tech entrepreneur Alex Sargent says using AI has helped him ease his own obsessive-compulsive disorder.

He uses Otter.ai, an AI-powered transcription app, to record and organize meetings.

Sargent explains that while his intense attention to detail and ritual used to be a burden, “I’ve gotten comfortable delegating tasks, and I mostly do that these days using AI.”

According to Hayley Blackley, a neurodiversity coach and trainer, accessibility isn’t the main reason people with mental or psychological illnesses are drawn to AI tools.

“I think the biggest thing is that there’s no shame or stigma in asking ChatGPT or any other AI tool to do something for you.”

For example, there is an assumption that most people should know how to spell, which can be particularly difficult for people with dyslexia, she explains.

Blackley, who has dyslexia, ADHD and autism, said the AI ​​chatbot allowed him to “outsource my tasks without having to overly explain why”. [to another human]”

She added: “The question is, if you have crutches to help you walk, and you have difficulty walking, why wouldn’t you use the crutches? So if AI gives you a mechanism to make the world of work easier, there’s a great argument to say, ‘let’s use it’.”

In his work with companies and neurodiverse employees, Blackley said some companies are more open to adopting assistive AI tools than others.

But she adds that if AI is available to the entire workforce, everyone benefits: “When you put something in place for the minority, it ends up helping the majority without hurting anyone.”

Many of the tools currently being used by the neurodiverse community are mainstream AI products, but there are also products created specifically for the neurodiverse community, such as a website and app called Goblin Tools.

ChatGPT allows users to do everything from create to-do lists, formalize writing, check emails for misreadings, estimate how long a task will take, and even get cooking tips to prepare a dish using a set of ingredients.

Goblin Tools was developed by Belgian software engineer Bram De Buyser, who says it’s a kind of ode to his friends with neurodevelopmental disorders.

“My friends have certain struggles and needs, so I thought maybe I could create something that, if I can’t help them completely, could at least ease their struggles a little.”

The company’s website currently gets 500,000 monthly users, according to De Beizer, and is free to use, but there is a fee to download the app.

There are also AI chatbots developed specifically for neurodiverse children, such as InnerVoice, an app developed by Californian tech company iTherapy.

Targeted at children with autism, parents can help their son or daughter animate objects or people in their child’s life, such as a favorite toy or pet, which then becomes a talking avatar on a phone or computer screen.

Children with autism often interact with computers more than with the so-called real world around them, said Matthew Guggemos, co-founder of iTherapy, adding that AI will increasingly be used to help people with neurodevelopmental disorders.

“We feel that AI can give people with neurodevelopmental disorders additional tools and help them communicate with less effort when needed,” he says.