Efficacy and risks of artificial intelligence chatbots for anxiety and depression: a narrative review of recent clinical studies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The rapidly growing environment of artificial intelligence (AI) has accelerated interest in its potential use for improving the efficiency and efficacy of the healthcare industry. Specifically, there has been a growing interest in AI role mental healthcare for common disorders like anxiety and depression. However, it remains unclear whether current evidence is sufficient to determine efficacy and safety of AI chatbots in clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS: Most studies reported symptom reductions on validated anxiety and depression measures; however, the majority lacked appropriate active control conditions, featured small and demographically narrow samples, and used inconsistent outcome metrics, limiting generalizability and replication. Reporting of adverse events was rare, and potential risks such as emotional dependence and parasocial relationships were largely unexamined. SUMMARY: This paper offers a review of the recent literature (February 2024 and July 2025) regarding AI effectiveness in treating anxiety and depression. While findings suggest that AI chatbots are feasible and acceptable to users, current evidence is insufficient to determine their efficacy or safety in clinical practice.