Articles | September 15, 2026
It is crucial for plan sponsors to understand the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental healthcare and what it means for mental health benefits. AI has the potential to help address provider shortages, expand access to care and deliver more personalized, scalable mental health interventions. It also introduces new risks related to clinical accuracy of AI output, participant safety and data privacy.
Plan sponsors can take steps to ensure and evaluate appropriate use of novel AI-powered solutions in mental health benefits.
The capabilities of AI have advanced at an unprecedented rate in recent years, rapidly changing the way we approach mental health and healthcare in general. So far, the most consistent measurable benefits are in administration.
Increasingly, people are turning to generative AI chatbots for mental health support. On the surface, the growing reliance on AI chatbots seems to address the growing public need for immediate, accessible mental health support. However, user trust of AI is much lower than usage rates imply. That skepticism is reassuring given that generative AI chatbots have been shown to enable harmful behaviors when used by vulnerable individuals seeking support during periods of emotional distress or crisis.
Before AI chatbots can be safely used for mental healthcare there’s an urgent need for rigorous clinical validation and ethical safeguards. The lack of a clear regulatory framework for AI tools in mental health further complicates the issue.
As AI capabilities continue to grow, so does the responsibility to make sure these tools are used carefully and safely, with proper plans in place to reduce risk. As fiduciaries, plan sponsors could be liable if they implement AI tools without appropriate oversight, due diligence and participant protections.
In an article recently published in the Third Quarter 2026 issue of Benefits Quarterly, we suggest plan sponsors follow these four steps:
Not all AI solutions, including AI chatbots, are the same, and the risks posed vary depending on the type of AI used and the context in which it is deployed. Our article includes a table that summarizes the types of AI and their primary risks for mental healthcare.
We also list questions that plan sponsors should ask their mental health vendors about the vendors’ use of AI.
You can download the article with permission from the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, the publishers of Benefits Quarterly.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. You are encouraged to discuss the issues raised here with your legal, tax and other advisors before determining how the issues apply to your specific situations.
