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Main Authors: Choi, Ryuhaerang, Kim, Taehan, Park, Subin, Kim, Jennifer G, Lee, Sung-Ju
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.11656
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author Choi, Ryuhaerang
Kim, Taehan
Park, Subin
Kim, Jennifer G
Lee, Sung-Ju
author_facet Choi, Ryuhaerang
Kim, Taehan
Park, Subin
Kim, Jennifer G
Lee, Sung-Ju
contents Eating disorders (ED) are complex mental health conditions that require long-term management and support. Recent advancements in large language model (LLM)-based chatbots offer the potential to assist individuals in receiving immediate support. Yet, concerns remain about their reliability and safety in sensitive contexts such as ED. We explore the opportunities and potential harms of using LLM-based chatbots for ED recovery. We observe the interactions between 26 participants with ED and an LLM-based chatbot, WellnessBot, designed to support ED recovery, over 10 days. We discovered that our participants have felt empowered in recovery by discussing ED-related stories with the chatbot, which served as a personal yet social avenue. However, we also identified harmful chatbot responses, especially concerning individuals with ED, that went unnoticed partly due to participants' unquestioning trust in the chatbot's reliability. Based on these findings, we provide design implications for safe and effective LLM-based interventions in ED management.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_11656
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Private Yet Social: How LLM Chatbots Support and Challenge Eating Disorder Recovery
Choi, Ryuhaerang
Kim, Taehan
Park, Subin
Kim, Jennifer G
Lee, Sung-Ju
Human-Computer Interaction
Machine Learning
Eating disorders (ED) are complex mental health conditions that require long-term management and support. Recent advancements in large language model (LLM)-based chatbots offer the potential to assist individuals in receiving immediate support. Yet, concerns remain about their reliability and safety in sensitive contexts such as ED. We explore the opportunities and potential harms of using LLM-based chatbots for ED recovery. We observe the interactions between 26 participants with ED and an LLM-based chatbot, WellnessBot, designed to support ED recovery, over 10 days. We discovered that our participants have felt empowered in recovery by discussing ED-related stories with the chatbot, which served as a personal yet social avenue. However, we also identified harmful chatbot responses, especially concerning individuals with ED, that went unnoticed partly due to participants' unquestioning trust in the chatbot's reliability. Based on these findings, we provide design implications for safe and effective LLM-based interventions in ED management.
title Private Yet Social: How LLM Chatbots Support and Challenge Eating Disorder Recovery
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.11656