Hi friend,

Talkspace just launched their own AI chatbot. In this special bulletin, I share the details of the news as well as some of my reflections on the implications.

The chatbot, called Tee, is a direct to consumer, conversational AI product which users can chat with using text or voice.

Marketed as "A private place to talk about anything, at any time" Talkspace positions Tee as a superior alternative to using general-purpose AI products, emphasising its safety, clinical oversight, memory and the fact it has been trained specifically on mental health data.

While there is clear consumer demand to use conversational AI for emotional and mental health needs, it's less clear if people want — and are willing to pay for — purpose built mental health AI. Many mental health players have launched conversational AI products over the last two years, but the market remains wide open, with no purpose built product yet gaining dominance.

Tee's position as part of the care experience is different to some of these other mental health products.