In this episode of Stepsero we speak about AI and its application to mental health. Our guests, George and Amir, are part of The Data Analysis Bureau, a UK-based data science agency that has recently developed a virtual AI assistant tool called SAM. 

Below are a few highlights from our conversation:

• The recent lockdown has forced people to pay closer attention to mental health and its complexity. The same goes for organizations who need to find ways to engage their employees remotely.
  
  
• Overall, employees are still not fully comfortable with being totally transparent, as the stigma surrounding mental health is still very much present. At the same time, the lockdown made it more difficult to speak to a confidant, or develop a close network of people with whom to share any personal concern.
  
  
• With the development of their platform SAM, The Data Analysis Bureau wants to put AI at the service of mental health.
  
  
• On one hand, their AI-powered chatbot is a great solution for employees to share private thoughts and get immediate access to useful suggestions and information. On the other hand, SAM allows companies to monitor anonymous insights and highlight areas where groups of people may need support.
  
  
• While an AI platform isn’t the solution to everything, it is definitely enough to start a discussion around mental health. As a matter of fact, SAM allows people to understand more about a specific problem so that they can take the necessary steps.
  
  
• Ultimately, George and Amir wish for companies all over the world to reach a point where having a conversation around mental health at work becomes the norm, rather than the exception.